A Toast

Here’s a toast

to life and living

to love and laughter

to seeing, to hearing

to giving and receiving

Lift a glass

to family and friends

to acceptance and belonging

to gifts, to talents

to harmony and understanding

Cheers! and Hear, Hear!

for joy and happiness

for peace and inspiration

for creativity, for passion

for positivity and optimism

This toast we raise

while counting out the frailties of our years

while listening to the music of the spheres

while measuring the value of our tears

while facing down the spectres of our fears

Here’s to us, to all of us,

the scattered and the gathered

family of creation

and to the persistent checkers

of our past, present, and future