Life whirls, blurring every vision, graying every line. The storm surrounds at a blinding speed, threatening to consume. It would be easy to succumb. Submission lures, enticing from this rocky path. The real joy, though, comes from leaning in. With eyes closed, and smile wide, ears and heart open, the beauty of busy seeps in. Laughter of loved ones, rigorous cries of success, flash sobs of failure, form the symphony of real experience that cannot be replaced by the quiet of a lonely corner. If a person is the sum of life lived, then I will be a great and mighty sum. And I will be thankful for it.