May your day always include glory

Splendor! Praise! Honor! Glory be!

The word "glory" has meant all this since at least 1200, according to The Chambers Dictionary of Etymology, and is likely derived from medieval Latin, and associated with a praise song to God -- In Gloria Patri. So, people have been singing glories for a long, long time.

Of course, glory is not confined just to God. We give glory to our own youthful years (glory days), to competitors of all kinds -- athletic, military, academic (no guts, no glory; go out in a blaze of glory; crowning glory), to our American flag (Old Glory), or to a moment that just takes us to our happiest, best place (she was in her full glory).

I know it's been a tough two years. Two and a half years! Many of us are tired, changed in some ways, and discouraged. I certainly have been. Today, Sunday, I met up with four women in my family and greeted each one with a, "Hi, hey, how are you?" and every one answered the same thing. "Tired." I couldn't help but notice the consistency of their answers and notice that I was, too. But we were able to be together with each other along with my son-in-law and one grandson, and it wasn't the whole family, and some of our loved ones will never be with us again, but we were there, and we were happy and felt our blessings, and it was altogether a glorious afternoon.

Glory be!

Find ways, big and small, to sing to the glories and splendors in your life. Honor acts of kindness, even if you've only observed them and they may not have touched you directly. Praise what is good, even if it's only a purple flower that opens one day in the morning and is gone by the afternoon. Just for a moment, just in the moment, find the good. Find the glory.

I wish you peace and love -- and moments of glory -- in the week ahead.