"Presence has three primary characteristics: wakefulness, openness, and tenderness or love . . . We've all touched presence. We've resting in presence in the moments before sleep when we become still and relaxed, listening to the sound of the rain on the roof. There's a background of presence when we gaze in wonder at a star-filled sky. We open to presence in gratitude for someone's unexpected kindness. We may never forget the presence we feel as we witness a birth or a death. Past and future recede, thoughts quiet, and we're aware of being right here, right now."