Over the last few weeks South Florida has been experiencing a little taste of winter.  I’ve woken up in the middle of the night to temperatures that made me pull the comforter over my head, and I’ve gone walking many evenings and had to turn back for a jacket.

While I don’t mind this change of season, I’ve noticed how the cool weather has made so many things a lot more meaningful, like a warm bed, a hot shower, or a steamy cup of tea. In the last few weeks these simple pleasures have quadrupled in value. In fact, some days while hustling in and out of Publix while the crisp winter breezes are swirling all around me (okay, I’m being too dramatic here, but you get what I mean),  I longingly dream about the hot cup of tea waiting for me at home or Heavens forbid the indulgence of a nice hot bath!

Then I got to thinking about adversity (and I am not sure how I made this leap) and the way that trouble in our lives functions a little like the cool weather we’ve been having: It allows us to savor the things that are going well in ways that we never would if everything was always perfect. Think about the difference in the delight of say a home in a safe neighborhood for someone moving there from a war zone versus someone moving there from up the street.  Big difference, right?

I am not suggesting that we need the experience of a war zone to appreciate a comfortable  home, but it seems like being clear about what the possibilities could have been can help to make the savoring of any experience that much sweeter.

At our next full moon as you think about transformation, spend a moment recognizing all the things in your life that might not have gone as well as they did, then settle into your next meal, your next paycheck, or your next nap in your comfy bed with particular pleasure and appreciation!

Best wishes!

Andrea