I'm thankful for good neighbors.
When I was married, for some reason when my eyes opened in the morning, I would jump out of bed like I'd been shocked by the pillow, and believe me, for the past four or five years that wasn't because I was eager to seize the day. It was a habit I suppose, and perhaps then my shared bed wasn't a sheltering nest and peaceful haven as much as it was an uneasy resting place, prickly with the vibrations of anxiety and sadness. There is nothing sadder than a marriage bed empty of love and affection. Ah! But no more that bed of unrest. No, as a single woman sharing my bed with no one (except for my stuffed dog, Sandy, who I really must tell you about sometime), even when the alarm rudely rouses me on a school morning, I linger luxuriously in my soft cotton sheets, head nestled in my down pillow, and pull the feather comforter tightly under my chin. I gaze out my windows at my amazing surroundings and I do a little gratitude litany. I say it aloud, of course, since I'm a great one for talking out loud to empty rooms. I try to do this every day even if I wake up feeling less than cheerful. Honestly it does help. But on a day when I awaken perky and hopeful it increases the richness of the day a hundred fold.
Ghostly winter clothed aspen out my bedroom window.
I always say thank you for the obvious: my people, Katy, my son, my sister and my best girl friends; and my very good health. And I'm quite grateful for my safe surroundings: my home and my car to take me safely where I want to go. Now days, I never fail to mention my blog and the friends, support, comfort and fun I am finding through it. Then I list personal behaviors and accomplishments for which I'm extremely thankful. Lately I am thanking the Universe for my feeling strong and capable, and for letting me get over him (former husband) much easier than I would have dreamed I could considering the time and love invested. Thanks are in order for helping me get off my butt and drive downtown to workout. And hey, I think I'm getting much more open and outgoing with strangers and acquaintances, and seeing benefits from it. I'm grateful for that! Then I throw in a few frivolities I'm especially happy about on that particular morning, discovering chai tea this week, finding Artful Blogging when I was in town rather than having to pay postage on it. The little things.
Beloved Katy...self portrait in car
I'm talking to the Universe. I imagine it sitting in the chair across from me, legs crossed, nodding while offering encouraging little murmurs as I talk. Sometimes, on the weekend when I have more time, there are many asides, polite requests for more help and time spent actually working out a needling problem before my feet touch the floor. Oh, some people might say Sounds like she's talking to god to me, but since my spirituality doesn't run along those lines, I believe I'm talking to the Universe and really, I don't think it matters who you're talking to, as long as you are offering your gratitude to it and deeply appreciating what you have, what you've done, what you can do. I got this idea from "The Secret" and "Romancing the Everyday" and everyone else in the world who is talking about gratitude these days. Once I actually put the idea into action however, I realized the pure power of the idea and it is enriching my life daily. Even on a bad day, the gratitudes (I don't believe that is a word, but I'm coining it now if not) spoken aloud in the morning softly come to me later and bolster me. Help dry tears. Remind my heart that this bad thing is just one thing. Not everything. Nothing is everything. Everything is just one thing.
Sigh....As Martha might say, This gratitude business is a good thing!
A new cup of tea....thanks!
