There is part of me that has great appreciation for easy, quiet days–particularly bright, early summer mornings. It’s these kinds of mornings when it’s never clearer to me how lucky I am to be who I am and to have what I have and to love whom I love. I greedily devour times like this and steep in all the goodness in my life–which, of course, includes Kallie. She has her own way of expressing the same types of feelings:

It’s always striking to me that when I’m up and out–either walking Kallie or for a drive in the car–that a city the size of Chicago gets up late on the weekends–like everyone else. We didn’t see a single soul on our walk this morning. After we got home, I made Kallie’s breakfast and took off to the lakefront with a cup of coffee.

Any lover of Chicago can appreciate the quintessential view of downtown offered by nearby Montrose Harbor. I love to go there every so often and sit in the quiet as early morning fisherman  arrive to patiently await their day’s booty. There is something very profound offered by great bodies of water. I can’t help but feel insignificant, as well as gratitude and peace. It’s a place Ken and I visited upon occasion, beginning after his surgery in the winter of 2010. We never got out of the car, but you don’t have to in order to take advantage of the view. Topping my gratitude list, I thought of him while I was sitting there this morning, reflecting on all things and nothing at the same time.

I love living in this city, and I love living a life that feels more and more normal every day.