Verbally Grateful

I end this day with gratitude.

It didn’t start that way. Instead of opening my eyes and thanking God for another day, I cursed that it was later than I had anticipated and jumped out of bed. I’m trying to finalize two drafts of short texts – monographs – related to my work, and I’m blocked and just can’t seem to add the final words, make the last edits, finish. It’s making me nuts, and I was avoiding it by literally putting my head under the covers.

But the day progressed, as it always does, and at around six I decided to change venue and move into the kitchen. I opened the blinds in time to see a redheaded woodpecker on the neighbor's house. It was vivid crimson and really lovely with its white and black body. For these close encounters with nature I am truly grateful and for the home that offers the view of the birds, turtles, snakes, rabbits, and dragonflies.

And as I sit here and look out into the backyard and across the pond, I realize that the entire day (aside from kick-off) has been filled with gratitude.

I reached out and thanked a stranger for her continued creative inspiration (again thanks Teesha), and I visited the thxthxthx blog to see to whom or what Leah was expressing appreciation. I was grateful to discover some new authors and smiled as I jotted their names and their books into the April 1^st Project. I was also appreciative of the images and ideas that a spin around the web produced. And, in the end I was inspired to work on my monographs. A true blessing.

As I’ve mentioned in a prior post, I keep a gratitude journal in which I count my blessings each day. Today just seemed like a good day to be publicly thankful, to really wear my appreciation for life – my life – and the ability to create it each and every moment. The struggles that cause me to curse never equal the power of the miracles that spring from awareness and gratitude. Life is so much more rich when you enumerate your assets – a really comfortable blanket, organic strawberries, a good book, a caring and supportive husband, my health.

When I read Gretchen Rubin’s Happiness Project, one of the many take-aways was that she realized that she should be grateful for the things she didn’t have as much as for the things she had. Meaning, grateful that she didn’t have cancer, that she didn’t have financial problems, etc. Ever since I read her book, I keep this in the front of my mind and at the top of my list. I don’t suffer what many do, and I realize how fortunate I am.

As dusk pushes the sun below the horizon to make way for night, I will take the advice of Gladys Brown Stern and verbally count my blessings. It's going to take a while.