Wrangler Dani

My mom loves tinsel. Every year there is buckets of the stuff floating around the house at Christmas, getting tracked around on snowy boots and caught on the doggie’s tail. My BFF and sister-in-law love sprinkles, multi-colored sparkles of their own, making an ordinary cup of cocoa extraordinary and festive. My dad’s eyes have that unique sparkle when he gets excited about something, that animated joy of engagement that pulls you into his world magnetically.

This time of year, lights twinkle in shopping centers and we wear pearly eyeshadow because we can. We celebrate and sparkle, not because life is perfect or painless, but because embracing bits of sparkle – in my dad’s eyes and my mom’s decor and my friend’s hot cocoa at Starbucks – makes today a beautiful day, reminds us to be grateful and gives us joy.

There is so much to be grateful for – so much sparkle in life that we overlook in the muddy boots and snotty tissues and everyday annoyances. This year, I’m looking for sparkle and thanking God for it. After all, he created starlight, the most perfect sparkle of all.