when your heart swells to bursting

Today I woke with a happy heart. I am just home from a quaint art retreat with a small number of friends. I am a not a person that shares their feelings outloud easily, and while I am not entirely "there" yet on that front, I can tell you this - I left that retreat a better, stronger, happier woman than I arrived. The simple acts of kindness and friendship that presented themselves in those few days were so very important to me. I left knowing it is okay to want to slow down. It is okay to be disappointed. It is okay to dream big. It is okay to want and need help to succeed in those dreams. I embraced my disappointments, reveled in kindness and gathered my refreshed strength to come home and try again. No wonder I woke with a full heart. I am so appreciative of the friendships in my life. The ones that are both near and far. The ones that are both new and old. They make me a better, stronger, healthier person. Thank you, friends, for that.