Little Blessings, Big Gratitude

The weekend comes, the weekend goes. It has been such a week. My eldest brother was in town. It was so great to have him here. He came with a friend as well, and it was such a blessing. They both helped out around the house, helping with the Honey-Do list, which has gotten faded and cobwebby it is so overlooked these days. My husband has been working so many hours lately, needless to say I haven't asked him to do any of those around-the-house chores for awhile. My brother and his friend were not here to assist us. They were working every day to assist our parents as they tend to the estate of our Aunt who passed last year, along with other odd jobs which have been piling up for our parents. Along with all of that, can you believe they did chores around my house too? I am so grateful for all they have done.

So, why am I writing about all of this? I find myself filled to overflowing with gratitude: for being in community, for helping one another out when we need an extra hand, for receiving (I have always found it easier to give), for the loving relationship my brother and I share, for the family of origin I am blessed to be born into, for the gifts which come from sharing your spiritual path openly with those around you, for the blessings of family and dear friends new and old (the friendships, not the friends), for our children and the way they walk in this world, for my loving husband, for our precious dogs, for our loving home, for home cooked meals, for any time spent with loved ones, for contemplative time spent alone, for the sun coming up again and me being here to see it, for the moon shining brightly in my window at night. For, for, for, my list could go on and on. There is so much to be thankful for, little blessings, big gratitude, I could keep on listing.

What are you grateful for? What are the blessings which touch your heart? Who is great-full for you in their lives? Ah...there is the sweet spot, there is where the magic lies. May you have a week of blessings and gratitude, every week, forever and ever, amen.

An Abundance of Blessings...

I have so much to be thankful for. As I say my prayers at the end of the day, I do my best to include a list of gratitude. I start with my husband, he is a wonderful, thoughtful, sweet, conscientious, loving man, and I am amazed that I was smart enough at 21 to marry this man. I was really not that well equipped to make such a momentous decision, my frontal lobe not being fully formed and all. That is one reason I know we are are blessed by a Divine Presence. That I found this man, and then managed to be smart enough to not just date him, but also to marry him is a testament to there being more going on than meets the eye at any given time.

Next I am grateful for our children, my favorite son and my favorite daughter. This an inside joke of sorts. I have a dear and loving friend who mentioned she thought I favored one of my children over the other. I thought a lot about this comment and ultimately decided to ask each of my children privately, which one of them did they think was my favorite child. They each smiled sweetly and said they secretly knew they were the favorite! I told them the story of the woman who told all her cousins at the gathering for their beloved grandmother's funeral that she had the most special relationship with their grandmother. In fact, she knew she was their grandmother's favorite, because she had told her so in confidence many times. At this point the room erupted with each of the cousins declaring that she had told them the very same thing. I have made it a point to let each of them know they are indeed my favorite, and to remove debate upon my passing, I make it clear that they are my favorite son and favorite daughter. I love the legacy from the grandmother that each one of those grown children thought they were their grandmother's favorite child. What a gift! I would love for the debate at my funeral to be who I loved the most, because everyone I loved knew they were special in my heart. Of course, everyone I love, I do have a special place in my heart for. I am blessed by a wonderful family, that Karl and I have created, as well as a wonderful family of origin, I was lucky enough to be born into. Karl and I are blessed by our extended families and by an amazing group of very special friends we have gathered along our journey.

There is so much to be thankful for. I haven't even gotten to all the showers of blessings we are surrounded by everyday, good health, a warm home, food to grace our table daily. There are so many blessings. The most important one of all is LOVE. To love and be loved, beginning with loving ourselves and going out from there. The more we are loving with ourselves, the more we are able to tap into that love, and share it with those who surround us. I am most grateful for all the blessings of love in my life. If you read this, I know you are someone special, and I am "great-full" for you in my life. Thank you.

Is there someone you are thankful for? Do they know how special they are to you? Let's make sure they all know how blessed we feel by the loved ones in our lives! Take a moment to make someone's day and let them know you are grateful for them in your life. Have a blessed day!