Yesterday, as I was running out the door to take my kids to school. I couldn't find my sunglasses. I am the single mother of six kids. I must have sunglasses because if you saw me without them you would think I was dressed up as a zombie for Halloween. I'm desperate. The clock is ticking and my kids will be late if I don't hurry, but I have to protect the world from my morning hideousness, so I grab my daughter's sunglasses; these funky old fashioned cat eye glasses and run out the door.

As I'm careening down the hill, thankful there are no horses in the way, I notice, for the first time, how "stinking gorgeous" the world is. The light falling over the mountain was breathtaking. I noticed the trees were already turning colors in the mountains and the clouds - the clouds were glorious. I was seeing the world as if I was witnessing it for the first time. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. I was suddenly so grateful and amazed at how blessed I was. All of a sudden, I was in the best mood ever and the world was a delightful place to be. I returned home, took off the sunglasses and it turned blah, again. Regular world. Regular problems. Same old, same old. (That's what you say if you're Southern and depressed.) The day goes on and it's time to get my kids. I slap those glasses back on and - ta da! Life is dang beautiful again!

Okay, I'm not dumb. I figured it out. I pulled off the glasses and looked at the lenses. The lenses were rose-tinted. They made everything look wonderful. I was smiling. I was singing to the radio and I was amazed. This morning, I found my old sunglasses, put them on and wondered why the whole world looked so ugly and gray. Not as much smiling and not as much singing. I went home and officially stole my daughter's glasses. She just got a new pair for her birthday, so she won't mind.

I NEVER want to wear another pair of gray tinted glasses, again. If I can go through life seeing the good and the beautiful, I will choose to do that. Why would anyone want to choose to see life gray and depressing? At times, we do. It made me think about how I see everything in my life. Am I looking at my kids with rose-colored glasses? Am I looking at my friends and neighbors, my job and life the way I should? Sometimes it's a choice. I'm choosing to throw away the gray and keep the rose-colored life. Trust me, it's better.