" I give thanks for this good earth beneath my feet,” I murmured. “I give thanks for the sun that warms it and brings forth the new shoots. I give thanks for the rain that nourishes great oak and creeping moss, filling the flowing river and the tranquil pond. I give thanks for the clear air I breathe. I give thanks for the gift of life. "

― Juliet Marillier , Tower of Thorns (Blackthorn & Grim, #2)