Appreciation is a Holy Thing

“I believe that appreciation is a holy thing, that when we look for what’s best in the person we happen to be with at the moment, we’re doing what God does; so in appreciating our neighbor, we’re participating in something truly sacred.” ~Fred Rogers, Commencement Address, Middlebury College May, 2001

I’ve been called a dreamer since I was a little girl with her nose in books, staring off into space daydreaming. It’s true. I was, and I am; but I like to think that my optimism is seeing the world through the lens of the wonder-filled, the magical.

It’s harder some weeks than others, when the world seems horribly off-balance. That’s when I try to remember to look around me, to remember those in my circle, who are close and far, whom I love. They remind me that there are seeds of hope in the small, beautiful moments we spend together–so many shades of love–and I truly believe that love is our greatest experience of the Sacred.

If I have had the honor of spending time with you–sharing a meal, a conversation, a drink, a story, a moment, a memory, thank you. Thank you for the gift of your time and for sharing a part of yourself. Happy Thanksgiving. Cheers.

Published by Valya

Valya Dudycz Lupescu has been making magic with food and words for more than 20 years, incorporating folklore from her Ukrainian heritage with practices that honor the Earth. She’s a writer, content developer, instructor, and mother of three teenagers. Valya is the author of MOTHER CHRISTMAS, THE SILENCE OF TREES, and the founding editor of CONCLAVE: A Journal of Character. Along with Stephen H. Segal, she is the co-author of FORKING GOOD: An Unofficial Cookbook for Fans of The Good Place and GEEK PARENTING: What Joffrey, Jor-El, Maleficent, and the McFlys Teach Us about Raising a Family (Quirk Books), and co-founder of the Wyrd Words storytelling laboratory. Valya earned her MFA in Writing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and her poetry and prose have been published in anthologies and magazines that include, The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, Kenyon Review, Culture, Gargoyle Magazine, Gone Lawn, Strange Horizons, Mythic Delirium. You can find her on Twitter @valya and on Mastodon.social @valya

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