May 24

I don't think I take enough time to really stop and smell the roses; to admire the vibrant array of colors that decorate the world. But I did pause to take a closer look at this sweet bloom this afternoon.

I've developed an affinity for variegated roses in recent years. There's something so lovely about the way the colors blend together to create a whole that's beautifully complex yet still, at its root, just a rose.

I'm thankful for reminders that simple things are often beautiful, especially in a world that's so obsessed with getting more and trying to rise to the top of the proverbial heap.