After my run this morning, I walked over Ponte alle Grazie where I saw two women taking photos of the Ponte Vecchio. I smiled as I passed them: I was happy that they were appreciating my beloved city’s beauty. I too looked out at the Ponte Vecchio and thought how fortunate I am to be able to admire it every day. Besides feeling in my own element here, I am fortunate to live in a place I love and appreciate so much.
It makes me happy to see people coming here to admire my beloved city because beauty is meant to be shared and appreciated. I wonder if the Florentines knew centuries ago that people would travel across the globe just to admire this magnificent city. They probably didn’t create the city with that in mind, but rather to create beauty all around them that they could enjoy.
Living in Florence, I walk around town and down the same streets all the time to run errands, meet people, and go out. I never tire of seeing the city and admiring its beauty. Over the years, I’ve taken thousands of photos. I cherish each one of them because I was able to capture a specific moment in my beloved city that can never be reproduced.
I am fortunate to live in Florence not just because it is so enchanting, but because I am able to appreciate it as much as I do. Florence fills me with great joy: its beauty profoundly touches me and allows me to open my heart a little bit more each day.
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