It’s been a long time since I checked in, and for that I feel as though I’ve fallen short, but I feel that way a lot. It’s so easy to fall into the deep dark hole of noticing all the ways you could’ve and should’ve done more better. This self-perpetuating muck can drag you down in a hurry, and I cannot say that I don’t fall prey to it even more as I grow older and feel time slip too quickly through my fingers, but I’ve found that keeping an eye out for all the things for which to be grateful goes so far to reprogram my mind, my heart and my day.
I’ve known for quite a while the power of gratitude, but it’s worth remembering how powerful recognizing all the good that surrounds you can be. In fact, on a gray day like today I could get annoyed by the steady drip, drip, drip I’m hearing outside my window. I could get annoyed with my daughters who can be silent and invisible until I start to write, and then they instinctively reappear with questions and requests just as I am in the middle of a thought. I could have a crappy day OR I could choose to be grateful that my flowers got watered. I could be irritable and impatient, or I could thank God for blessing me with two little people who fill my heart with such joy.
My father always said, “You’re only as happy as you let yourself be.” For years I thought this sentiment was his own original motto, but I discovered that at least in one case it actually was attributed to Abraham Lincoln, and if I recall correctly, I think it may’ve been credited to others who lived long before my dad. Regardless of its origin, however, its sentiment is true, so on this day I will count my blessings and choose to have a wonderful day.