Photo of the day: January 4, 2013

"Explore. Dream. Discover."

For Christmas, Eric gave me this lovely silver sailboat. It's simple, graceful, and perfect for a girl who enjoys sailing. Yet what I love most about this gift is the idea that accompanies it. Mark Twain reminds us that it is often too easy to stay within the safe harbor of the familiar; to let complacency or fear keep us from challenging ourselves, from stretching, learning, and growing. As we get older, we may lose some of our childish wonder and fearless sense of adventure. One of the things I loved most about my dad was that he never lost his enthusiasm or sense of fun. He eagerly shared his love of nature, especially of water, with my brother and me. Dad worked hard but always made time to play. It was that same sense of wonder and appreciation that attracted me to my husband. Our first date was in Peninsula State Park hiking, climbing the observation tower, and skipping stones on the Bay (only because there wasn't enough wind to go sailing). I hope that wearing this charm will remind me to cast off some of the stress of grown-up responsibilities in order to rediscover the little things and to embark on new adventures: to explore, to dream, to discover!