There is a patchwork of experiences that make up any life.  We start with our own personal big bang, the beginning, the story of our birth and how we made it into the world. We collect memories of parents, siblings and friends as children. Banal memories of eating scrambled eggs at the table with brothers and a sister, of walking to school, of playing with toys.  All laced with feelings of contentment and love and safety.  There are memories of events that shaped us, learning experiences where we saw something new in something we thought was known.  We had and will, hopefully, continue to have a multitude of firsts.  First day of school, first best friend, first time we saw the northern lights or the ocean.  I don't know of anyone who hasn't met with the devastating effects of adversity, or the joy of successes, both at times so intimately intertwined as to become nearly one and the same event, frequently so inspiring that others become a part of the memory through the sharing.  Each of these moments great and small make up our life, our stories, and regardless of the time you've lived in or the place or the circumstance we each have an amazing story.  Throughout it all, at the bleakest of times and in the most joyful nurturing some spark of sunshine inside just to keep things alive becomes an essential part of my life. It's not always easy and its source has come from some pretty interesting places.