It never fails to surprise me how hard it is to write a Slice of Life post once a week after meeting the March daily writing challenge of 31 slices in a row. I can certainly come up with excuses (much easier than slice topics!), but the bottom line is that it’s May 9, and after 31 days of March writing, I haven’t written a slice since. Yikes.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about bright spots and how important it is to notice and focus on them. Every day has such moments if your “antennae” are tuned to that channel. Early one morning last week I stepped outside to head to work and spied clusters of water droplets on the newly emerged leaves of my lady’s mantles. I stopped to look closer.

I was stunned by the perfection of the small orbs, like glowing jewels along the edges of the unfolding leaf. That image stayed with me throughout the day. Just a small moment, but a powerful reminder.

It strikes me that writing slices about those bright spots is a great practice to take up. Pretty similar to gratitude I suppose, and perhaps a way to ease back into the pool of weekly writing.

One of the biggest bright spots in the past year has been my daughter and her partner moving into the area after years in Philadelphia. Last week I found myself unexpectedly out of school early and near their apartment. I knew Milo would be home studying for finals. I had been carrying something around in my car for them, so I called to ask if I could drop it off.

“Sure,” they said. “Do you want to go for a walk? It’s so pretty out!”

After torrential downpours and howling winds, the day had turned into a beauty. A welcome change from the recent flow of grey, dreary still-chilly days. No one else knew where I was. No one needed me to be anywhere else. What a luxury!

So, we walked with their dog, Cal, along the river, exclaiming over the torrents of water. We chatted about this and that. Stopped to talk to other pedestrians. Chaperoned a few dog encounters. Nothing remarkable, really. Just sharing time and space on a beautiful day.

But oh, what a gift! A bright spot indeed!