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| Photo: www.innerworkingsresources.com |
Occasionally, you have a
difficult day. Or a difficult week. Sometimes it can stretch into a
month or longer. During such times, it's challenging to recognize the
positives and the blessings that abound. I'm having a week that has been
populated with a couple of less-than-pleasant experiences, and in order to
avoid dwelling on the negative energies, I decided to dwell in gratitude.
This is the second in my Gratitude Moments series, and as I sit here to
begin writing, I have no idea what thoughts will flow from my hands.
Let's take the journey together....
Gratitude Moments
- Finding that perfect gift for that perfect someone when
you weren't even looking. (I do this throughout the year and squirrel
things away for birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas/Hanukka.)
- Sharing time with someone special where no words are
necessary, and the silence is comfortable.
- Breathing in crisp, fall morning air, stung slightly by
wood smoke and evergreens.
- Learning a new word. This one never fails to
delight me!
- Creating with my hands. Whether it's writing, painting,
sketching, knitting or crocheting, or any other tactile expression, the
ability to create with my hands lifts my heart and gives voice to unspoken
emotions.
- Front porches with porch swings, rocking chairs and
gliders.
- Being far from home and hearing the cadence and liquid
lazy vowel sounds of my home region. That region is the southeastern
United States. East Tennessee, to be specific.
- Speaking of East Tennessee, my heart always expands in
joy when I am in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, absorbing the
incredible energies that exist in my beloved mountains.
- Sitting next to a river and listening to the music of
rushing water.
- The scent of Crayons™, before they meddled with the formula recently.
That scent used to be a favorite. Maybe someday they'll return
to the original formula.
- Feeling your Soul sink into that other
person with an instant sense of Homecoming.
- Walking in a field during morning hours
in the slow, heavy heat of a summer day and hearing the world waking
up....winds whispering softly, fat bees droning from flower to flower,
birds calling forth the sun.
- The complex fabric of a large, noisy,
loving family. Myriad aunts, uncles and cousins who know you to the
depth of your Soul, and love you unconditionally.
- A brand new journal with fresh, empty
white pages, waiting to be filled with words, images and the journeys of
an agile mind.
- Granny Smith apples.
- Climbing into a freshly made bed and
reveling the sensation of clean sheets.
- Red plum jelly. This one is a
rarity - I seldom find it in grocery stores.
- Tying a length of string into a circle
and creating shapes from childhood such as Jacob's Ladder, Cat's Cradle,
etc.
- Blackberry cobbler made by my Mom.
- Waking up naturally, without an alarm
clock!
- Puttering in the kitchen with that
special someone.
- Meditation.
- Eye sight, both physical and spiritual,
to write these thoughts and to recognize them.
I stopped at
twenty-three. This list took exactly 7 minutes to flow from my hands,
with each thought springing effortlessly forward. I didn't know what each
new thought would be, yet each one prompted a smile and a lifting of my heart.
Challenges still exist in my life, and the journey of this current week
is still a bit of a confused jumble. What exercising gratitude moments
gives me is the opportunity to step above the difficulties that Life hands out
on a regular basis.
I often quote jewels of wisdom from my
maternal Grandmother, my Granny Reagan. She had a very challenging life,
stifled in virtually every way imaginable, yet she continued to harbor wisdom
and gentle guidance to all of her grandchildren (27 of us). I remember,
very clearly, one specific comment she shared quite often:
"An obstacle is nothing more than a platform to step UP on, gain a more clear view and understanding of your surroundings, and step OFF of, to propel yourself forward." - Alpha Celestia Nelson Reagan
So, I'm reminding myself
of those words of wisdom and recognizing that the current obstacles I'm
experiencing are giving me as yet unseen opportunities. The first step to
that realization is recognizing the difference between obstacle and
opportunity.
