express your gratitude or show your appreciation. There is a special power in giving thanks. It can make you happier, healthier, and have a more positive outlook on life. To give thanks should not be reserved for Thanksgiving, but should be an every day ritual. Making either a mental or written list of what you are thankful for that day before you fall asleep does wonders for you and the spiritual realm.

Let go! The leaves are gracefully swirling to the ground ready to release and start a new adventure. I am always looking forward to Autumn when nature displays its most magnificent colors. It is the season between Summer and Winter when the temperatures become a bit cooler, the air fills with wood smoke, the autumnal equinox signals that days are getting shorter, and farmers are harvesting some crops. Change is constant. Change is good! Let go and enjoy the Season!

We all have had our share of hurt in our lives committed by either ourselves or somebody else to us. A lot of times we hold on to this grudge not realizing that it actually hurts us and not the other person! When you truly forgive someone that has hurt you, it is your gift to them. With this act, you set yourself free and can move forward. Leave the past and focus on the now and future. You choose!

I dedicate the month of August as the Month of Kindness! Let’s challenge each other to commit random acts of kindness each day until it becomes a natural extension of who we really are. Watch as small deeds grow the Spirit and strengthen the soul.

The declaration of Independence from Great Britain and its king in 1776 invoked a celebration for their new found freedom. However, the word independence also means separation, being on your own, relying on self only. It can create feelings of loneliness. Personally, I am drawn to the word “interdependence” which means . . .

Last month we celebrated all mother figures and to balance it out we also need to celebrate all fathers. To have both present in a child’s life is important under normal circumstances. I just recently came across this wonderful quote by Anne Geddes, “any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.”