Last night, before my family and I headed over to a neighbor's for a summer cookout, I went to my garden and picked four flowers—one wide-open pink rose, another pale pink rose still in a loose bud, a deep pink peony, and a deep magenta climbing rose. I have to say they looked very striking together—simple but beautiful. I arranged them in a bud vase and brought them as a hostess gift to my friend.

The fact that these flowers are blooming, that the Japanese beetles have yet to attack them, that I have a home with a garden—all these things made me extremely grateful. I was grateful for the flowers, for the warm summer evening, for the fact my family had time together, for our long-time friends. I didn't have to even think about it, I just felt a deep appreciation for the moment I was in. Gratitude just flowed in and through me. I breathed a prayer of thanks for all of it. And that gratitude made me feel generous—I wanted to share the flowers, share the love. We also ...