Today, I started reading The Morningside: A Novel by Téa Obreht. The book tells the story of Silvia and her mother, who have been expelled from their home and have settled in a luxury tower called Island City, where Silvia's aunt Ena is the superintendent. The Morningside is a place of magical possibilities, where Ena shares folktales with Silvia about her demolished homeland, a place of natural beauty and communal spirit. This starkly contrasts Silvia's current reality, where she feels unmoored and disconnected from her past.

Meandering Morning Meditation
During my morning walks, I allow my mind to wander, and I can think clearly about the issues that burden my soul. Meditating with a clear head in the cooler early hours has proven to be the key to my healing and growth after losing Jan. Sometimes, I can understand life lessons that we should have learned in kindergarten. Today, I thought about how much I have learned from grief, specifically that the worst things in our lives lead to the best things that will ever happen to us. When I returned home, someone sent me the image featured on tinybudda.com, reinforcing my daily meditative meanderings.