I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but Helen and Hattie have become great friends through the class. I like it when they say that they are drawn to each other because they are both attracted to the lighter things in life. Devastating memories, bad days, give them anything - and they can give you a happier way to look at the situation. If you ask either one of them, is your life full? They don't have to think before they answer yes. Now that's very, very cool. When they talk about the imperfect bits of their lives - they have each lost a son - they just take a breath and say, well, not everything can be perfect all the time. (They'd say this in a quiet, focused way like they are just thinking out loud. They both do this.) They've told me about how they became friends a few times already - they just did, that's how. In the senior center, they spotted each other and just knew they shared that little something. I'm not sure there is a word for this. I don't think "optimism" covers it. I think it is much gentler, much lighter than that.