A few days a go a friend posed this question… What would you have today, if you only had those things you were thankful for yesterday? I am afraid my answer is, nothing, I would have nothing. This made me think about being thankful, and my lack of appreciation. I have so much, when others have so little. I am blessed with so many great people around me, when others have no one to turn to. How can I be that ungrateful?
That is the crux of the issue. I have a lot, but don’t take time to appreciate them. I am reading a book called One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. In the book as an exercise she crafts a list of One Thousand things she is thankful for. Now I don’t know about a list of One Thousand, but here in no particular order are things I am thankful for today…
Cinnamon Buns
My daughter, who was crying this morning because she couldn’t get her hair right before school
My Wife, who fixed it
Coffee
My other daughter who is rarely phased by anything and wore shorts to school on a frosty morning.
Good friends
My church
Peanut M&Ms
Popcorn, the movie popcorn, not microwave
Did I mention Coffee already?
Cows, who give us steak
Mushrooms and Onions to go with that steak
Ceasar salad
Brene Brown and her insight into my life
Forgiveness, cause I mess up so often, I appreciate when people accept my apology
NFL football, I like to escape into something that is fun and yet trivial
Steve, Scott and Eldon, They are there if I call.
Sun shining in the window
Rain at night
That smell after the rain, like a new world
fresh snow, blanketing the streets
melting snow, signalling spring
a comfy pair of shoes
my wife’s laugh
Her Smile
The touch of her hand
the rest of her too
Coffee
Lemon Meringue Pie
Sour Cream Glazed Doughnuts
The look on someone’s face when they first see you and are glad to see you
The bittersweet tears of goodbye, so long and farewell
Sappy Movies
A good novel
This life that I get to live, it is precious and amazing, I am so sorry I mess it up with so much me in it, but I am so thankful that I have it, that it is a new adventure every day.I am in love with the joyous pleasure of experiencing all that this life I live has to offer.
I am trying to be more grateful for the things in my life. Maybe we all should be, maybe it will change how we look at the life we live.
I’ve read that quote before. “What if we woke up with only the things we thanked God for yesterday?” My responses would usually be nothing. I get so stuck on the negative things in life that I forgot to be thankful for and appreciate all the good that does surround me. Thanks for the reminder.