February 19, 2026
Morning Reflections
Roll Call at the Rail…
This morning felt like one of those moments that reminds me why I keep this ritual every single day. As I walked up the pier, the sky was still soft from the rain, the ocean steady and quiet. Then suddenly it happened… wings everywhere. The birds started flying toward me and lining up along the rails like it was time for roll call. Row after row. Waiting. Watching. Excited. There really is no better feeling than this.
Their joy is contagious. Even people standing nearby who normally don’t pay attention to birds started smiling. It’s impossible not to. There’s something about pure excitement that melts people’s walls.
I think they were extra hungry after the rain, so I made sure everyone got a little extra today. Ebony kept jumping on top of my phone, which is always his favorite place, and Honey Girl rode my arm like she owns the pier… which honestly, she does.
Walking back to my car, I stopped at the canal and watched the stillness. A Great Blue Heron hunting with complete focus. A Great Egret standing like a painted reflection. Snowy egrets moving carefully through the water, totally present, totally committed.
I held my message up to the ocean and read it again: “That dream was planted in your heart for a reason.”
Moments like this remind me that sometimes the dream doesn’t feel big and loud. Sometimes it looks like showing up… feeding birds… noticing beauty… and letting joy ripple outward.
Capturing Beauty, Sharing Light
—April
Morning Gratitude Thought:
Today I am grateful for the simple discipline of showing up, because when I do, life meets me there with wings.
