There are those who say we cannot live our best life during these days of quarantine. I disagree. The restrictions are lifting here in Texas, but I am in no rush to throw myself back into the rat race. Slowing the pace has revealed to me just how much time I was wasting in meaningless activity-how much going and doing filled up my hours. Quarantine has invited me to embrace just being, and I like it. I have allowed myself the space to move through the negative emotions as they have come up, and I’ve made a kind of peace with the fact that I am not in control of even one aspect of my life (a rather tough admission). I arise early for a morning walk and make a point to pay attention to my surroundings and the small details of the beauty that I encounter along the way…the crystalline reflection that bounces off the still waters of Luther Lake as the sun rises, the light as it filters through the leaves that canopy the hilly streets of the neighborhood, the restful feeling in my spirit as I listen to the birds and enjoy coffee on the patio beside the chiminea. I think I am beginning to own a new truth. A happy and fulfilling life, for me, is not about the accumulation of things or of wealth. It is not looking outside of myself for fulfillment. Rather, it is a simple existence fully engaged with the people I love and with the unceasing wonder of nature.