Mary Horton

We've all heard the familiar sayings. Dream big. Follow your dreams. Chase your dreams. Never stop dreaming. They're wonderful sentiments, aren't they? The idea that somewhere inside each of us is a grand vision of what we want our lives to become, just waiting for us to find the courage to pursue it. But what if we don't have a grand vision? What if some of the most meaningful things we create in our lives begin without a dream at all? Sometimes, they begin with nothing more than curiosity....

Have you ever walked through a garden and noticed how everything seems to be doing something different? Some flowers are in full bloom, their colors bright and impossible to ignore. Others are still holding tightly to their buds, waiting for just the right moment. Some plats have already given everything they had for the season, while others are only beginning to show what they can do. And somehow, it all belongs in the same garden. We don’t stand over rosebushe an demand that it bloom...

There is something about this time of year that makes us start thinking about what comes next. The season is changing. The garden is slowing. The days are getting shorter, and before we know it, another year will begin winding toward its end. And almost without realizing it, we start looking forward. What comes next? What needs to change? What should I do differently? Where am I going from here? We are very good at asking ourselves those questions. But maybe, before we go any farther, we...