What we grow to appreciate each year may vary from person to person — but at the heart of it, most of us learn to value presence over possessions, connection over comparison, and meaning over material. Gratitude becomes less of a practice and more of a way of seeing the world. Read below to see what Team Cornerstone has to say about what they have grown to appreciate over the years.

Don

"I have grown to appreciate experience more each day. I am very grateful for the experiences in my life that have shaped me into the person that I am today."

Leslie

"Gratitude, in these busy times in this life I live, it seems that I often reflect on my childhood. My childhood was surrounded by loving parents, siblings that I was and am close to still to this day, my dear Grandma and Grampa Leland, lots and lots of cousins and aunts and uncles. My gratitude is for my family and how they guided me to be the person I am today."

Hailey

"The thing I grow to appreciate more each year is my good health and able body. To be able to play with my dog, go on runs, workout, not have chronic pain and to be in good health is something that didn’t seem to be a privilege at first, but the older I get the more I realize how lucky I am to have an able body to move around and do the things I love to do."

Nastassja

"The older I get the more I appreciate peace. Being at peace is truly priceless."

Taylor

"I’ve come to appreciate the place I grew up. As a kid in small town, rural Illinois, I couldn’t wait to leave. It felt like there was nothing to do, and resources and access seemed so limited. But over time, I’ve learned there’s something wonderful in living a little slower. And there’s comfort in what feels familiar, like the way sweet corn smells in July, how you can see a thunderstorm rolling in from miles away, or how the people around you have witnessed every version of who you’ve been. It’s in those small things that I’ve grown to feel incredibly grateful for."