As a significant birthday approaches, I find myself paying more attention to things I can enjoy because I’m alive. The other morning on my way to 6:45 a.m. Mass the sunrise was extraordinarily spectacular: a shining ball of red-orange and wisps of pink-tinged clouds. After Mass a tall dad came into church towing a four-year-old on either side of him. The girl with blond ringlets and blue eyes stretched out her hand to get the priest’s attention and say hi. Later in the parking lot the barefoot children ran and leaped. The dad explained, “We came to visit Jesus before we go to P-L-A-Y.” The charming sight of those two children stayed with me.

That afternoon—which was a scorcher—a cool, smooth, chocolate ice cream cone was another delight. And then in the car one of my favorite Chopin pieces was played on the radio. Being aware of these experiences and relishing them was good and made me happy.

Last night I watched the movie “The Color Purple.” The title comes from a scene in which two women are walking through a field of purple flowers. When one woman comments that God likes to share his goodness, the other states that God must get really angry when we pass by the color purple and don’t even notice it. The main character, played by Whoopi Goldberg, is someone people don’t notice. This theme of being aware was right in sync with my thoughts. How nice it would be if every morning I woke up wondering, “What wonderful things (or people) in God’s creation will I notice today?”

What in your life have you seen with new eyes lately?