Earlier this fall as I wandered through the gorgeous Washington Park arboretum in Seattle, I couldn’t help but feel grateful. It was an early Saturday morning, the skies were dry, the park still quiet, and I was with my daughter, her husband and their sweet dog. This year the fall foliage was absolutely stunning. Every turn revealed another burst of color. Brilliant leaves of Japanese maples, sumacs, and sourwood lit the wooded and wide open spaces. Not only was I grateful for all of the fall beauty and my companions, my outlook was expanded—excited about things to come, even though I didn’t have a clue as to what that might be.

There is a science behind the way I felt,