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cresting four o'clock,
the November sun paints an amber hue...

and highlights the yellow leaves

on the yawning willow spray.

photographers coined this moment in time

as "The Golden Hour";

the intricate dance of color, shadows, and light

copulates with the senses...opening hearts...sewing serenity.

one bears witness to a collective softening...

a drawbridge of defenses that lowers

one chain link at a time.

it is coined "The Golden Hour"

for something more than enhancing the foreground...

it exists for lifting the veil of vulnerability.

:::

the longevity of a genuine relationship

relies not on a set of common interests

nor on shared emotional histories

nor on similar childhood upbringings

nor on reciprocated feelings

but on a road of unrelenting, wholehearted, acceptance.

:::

a person who embodies presence

in his or her daily life

has difficulty recalling the events of that day.

why?

to recall

places one in the past;

truly present people

are terrible at telling stories.

why?

living requires presence.

telling requires recall.

:::

to make a friend

is a blessing.

to make a good friend

(one who supports your desires,

uplifts your strengths,

accepts your shortcomings,

and expands your heart)

is a bona fide miracle.