I am Grateful!

Today I am grateful for....

• God the Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. What more is there to say?
• My attitude of gratitude. Gratitude has opened my heart and allowed God's grace to rush in! It has permitted peace to linger, settle and make a home in my soul! It eradicates worry, cures perfectionism, turns chaos into order and confusion into clarity and so much more!
• My Faith. It sustains me.
• The Bible. There is a reason why it is the most widely read book of all time.
• My sorrow. My sorrow has not been ignored by God. God's love and grace shines through during my weakest moments and this brings more comfort, peace, strength and perseverance!
• My husband Mike. He lightens my load with his love, support, friendship..... He also gives great massages, something he has promised to do for me in 20 minutes, so I have to write quickly!!!
• My three children. They make me laugh, cry, and love.
• My mom. Her strength and resilience inspires me. She is an amazing person. I am so blessed!
• My dad. He loves me!
• Happy memories of Nicholas
• My friends. Their support has lightened my burden and reminded me that I am cared for.
• My job. My patients and their parents inspire me.... their daily struggles humble my heart and bring me to my knees with compassion.
• The "Hooch." I love ending my daily runs at the river. It is absolutely breathtaking. I love walking down to the bed of rocks across from our street. The water is freezing and the mist the river emits is like nature's air conditioner during hot weather days! It is awesome! Sometimes I find older kids and teens jumping from the rope swing right into the water when the water is calm!
• Good Health. If I live long enough, it won't always be so.
• Camp Outs with my family. Vogel State Park was so much fun this week. I enjoyed roasting marsh mellows and hot dogs, sitting by the fire, listening to Aiden tell ghost stories to Liam and Rori...
• Fishing with my children. The joy on their little faces....
• Hiking with my family.
• Answered prayers. All prayers are answered. Sometimes the answer is not what is expected, but they are always answered with purpose. Accepting the answer may be difficult, but I enjoy the freedom that comes with acceptance and trust. I am so grateful for all the prayers that have been said for me and my family! THANK YOU!
• Help from strangers. Kindness is ALWAYS welcomed.
• To be alive. Life is such an amazing miracle and gift! It is meant to be appreciated fully!
• Fire flies in the summer.
• Liam's kisses and hugs. They are the best.
• Rori's 'I love You's'
• Aiden's sense of humor. Laughter is great medicine
• Family
• Mike's humor.
• Bedtime prayers with Aiden, Liam and Rori.
• Angels. I do believe in God's servants.
• Music. I love it.
• Vision. Without it, I wouldn't get to see my children's beautiful faces, Mike's constant smile, 'the hooch', everything that is not man made....
• My legs. My friend's husband recently had bilateral surgical amputation. There are no guarantees in life. Accidents happen; illness happens; I am so grateful to be able to walk, run and play with my kids and do all the other things in life that walking permits me to do with greater ease.
• Perpetual Adoration I look forward to my daily visit to the Adoration Chapel at St. Brigid's once Liam and Aiden return to school at Holy Redeemer. It is my daily dose of heaven. If you are having trouble feeling God's love, just walk into a Perpetual Adoration Chapel (you don't have to be Catholic either). There is no denying His presence.
• Hope
• Love
• Faith

I could keep writing as the list could go on. Gratitude is an amazing attitude. It takes practice, especially if you are a 'glass half empty' kinda person but even if you are a 'glass half full' kinda person, it takes what you have and makes it more than enough. The amazing thing about adopting an 'attitude of gratitude' is that it allows me to see my cup 'over flow!' Thank you M.J. Ryan for your guidance and introspect. Attitudes of Gratitude is a book I began reading over and over almost one year ago after attending a woman's retreat at my sons' school. It is an amazingly insightful book that has had a profound impact on how I choose to live!