Isn't that Special?

Friends,
What makes something special? Distance is a criteria used with some frequency. What, with absence making the heart grow fonder and familiarity breeding contempt, it seems the further something is from your everyday experience, the more special it becomes. Rarity also plays a role. It helps if something is one in a million, or even better, one of a kind. Then there’s popular sentiment, after all, vox populi, vox Dei. And, while all these factors influence our perception, I propose to you that many special things are none of the above. That common and unpopular things near us are arguably more special than distant, rare and universally acclaimed novelties. A breath of fresh morning air filling our lungs. The glow on a loved one’s face as they smile at us. The smell of freshly brewed coffee as we bite into that weekly donut. Maybe it’s all of the above. Maybe, as they say, variety is the spice of life.
Happy Friday!

Two pelicans, a sea lion and an iguana gathered for a special occasion.

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