Many years ago, during my school days, I would  often “count the crows” – 1 for sorrow, 2 for joy etc.  As I attended a convent boarding school, I was more interested in “3 for a letter; 4 for a boy”!  The habit seems to be ingrained and I continue to count the birds while out walking.  Whenever I see only one, I avert my gaze or try to find another one within my peripheral vision!  If I look hard enough, I always manage to spot two together and then I can relax.  However, that lonely bird is still there, whether you acknowledge it or not.

I have learned over the years that sorrow presents itself at times and if you don’t face it and accept it, it lingers or re-appears at a later stage.  Learning to accept it and then deal with it is important.  Only then can you move on and start looking for joy – and it is amazing to see how prolific joy is when you are ready to receive it!  Finding gratitude in the little things that surround us generally uplifts us and presents us with more!