Gratitude

No matter what the circumstances, I can always find something to be grateful for.   Today for example.  It's gloomy, raining, and dark.  Not even a glimpse of the sun.  And it's not a gentle rain, or even a downpour.  It's that misty, spitting kind of all day soaker.  The kind of day where the dampness seeps into my pores and chills me to the bone.  The kind of day when it makes sense to stay in bed and pull the covers over my head.  Surely no one could blame me?

But the alarm clock buzzed at 5:00am.  I didn't have an excuse to stay in bed.  I had a workout to do, house to clean, dinner to put into the Crock Pot and laundry to start before the kids got up.  (Remember, the early bird gets the worm.  I at least attempt to remind myself of this when I quietly curse the alarm clock every morning.)  Then when the kids walked out the door at 7:30am, my day really began. Writing for a few hours transformed to a meeting at 10am, another at 11am, then a dash home to let the dog out at noon.  When I arrived at the house, it was not the Crock Pot smell that greeted me, but the smell of doggy barf.  Frank the Dog had left a little, ok a huge, mess all over the kitchen floor (the kitchen floor I had cleaned just this morning).  And when I say all over, I mean ALL OVER.  Good times.

But when I looked at his face (he clearly felt bad), I just had to smile and be grateful that Frank is in my life.  I've certainly cleaned up worse.   Poor kid, he couldn't help it.  Maybe one of these days I'll train Frank to use the potty like most of the civilized people I know.  I have mentioned Frank's positive traits in previous blog posts, but I'm sure you can imagine how fantastic he is.

Anyway.... I cleaned up the mess, and was out the door again.   I returned home at 4:00pm to greet Nick (my son)  when he got off the bus from school.  We hung out together for a bit and we are soon heading for football practice.   After practice we will pick up my daughter, Kendall, from the library and head home.   A day in the life people!  Never a dull moment.

So it would seem that with the weather, a busy day, dog barf, then more running around, etc. that I would be in a pretty lousy mood.  Not so!  There is gratitude in me.  Today I am grateful for feeling good so that I GET to do these things!  I am grateful that I am able to be present to be productive, be here for my family, and to do so with a smile on my face.  And I am extremely grateful for my health, no headache and no vertigo.  I don't wish that on anyone.

Several years ago, a friend suggested that I write a gratitude list every day.  At the time she made the  suggestion, I was not in a very good place in my life and was not receptive.  I pretty much blew it off.  However, in recent years I have given more stock to the idea of a gratitude list.   Today I start my mornings with a little yoga, reflection time, and the making of a gratitude list.  It's the absolute last thing I want to do at 5:15am.  At 5:15am I'd rather be sleeping.  However, in starting each day putting my thoughts in a happy place, and setting my intention on the positive, it's remarkable how much happier I am.  My days are never quite right if I skip a morning of this routine.  After my accident a week or so ago, I didn't do my normal routine for some time.  I hadn't done it the morning of the accident (as I thought I'd do it after I rode).   Now that I am feeling like myself again (I resist the urge to write my "old" self again....) I am reminded how important it is.  It's my serenity amidst chaos.  The reason I'm a genuinely happy person 98% of the time is because I start the day centering myself and focusing on gratitude.  It's when I stray from that, and my morning reflection, I become the crazy lady.

So today, from time to time, I have reflected on what I am grateful for.  In this moment I am grateful for  my ability to write.

Oops....just looked at the clock.  Time to run to football!  (And yes, this means my son's white football pants will be green and brown by the time we return home).  But you know what?  That's OK with me.

And speaking of grateful, the Crock Pot I filled this morning and turned on before I left the house has been slowly cooking dinner while we have all been away.  The house is filled with the pleasing smell of braised short ribs, and when we return at 7:30pm the aroma of mashed sweet potatoes and fresh green beans will join the party of deliciousness (if I do say so myself).

Until next time......make a gratitude list.  You'll be glad you did.  Namaste.