I said something similar to myself every day when I first began to be able to walk, after a white stroke. Grateful for the air, grateful for the ability to take a step, grateful for an atmosphere that supports birds in flight and for the gravity I had cursed for so long. I was grateful for what I could see, even if it was in triplicate and made me dizzy. I remember hugging my left arm to myself, saying "You're back!" after 30 hours in hospital. I had had no left side at all for those hours of lying in a hospital bed.

The I Ching states that "perseverance furthers." It was one of my favorite hexagrams. Its definition, for me, has morphed mightily over the decades. Perseverance has lost its push. I try, now, to persevere in gratitude for what I 'get' to do. Beautifully put.