So, it is 2:30 in the morning and all is quiet. It’s an atmosphere that lends itself rather well to quiet reflection. So, what am I reflecting on? Gratitude.
I am grateful for so many things that I often gloss over them simply because it seems too big to think about. I am grateful for many things including my family, friends, faith and freedom (and for alliteration, apparently). The funny thing about gratitude is that once you start thinking about things you are grateful for it kind of spirals outward and really begins to change your perception. It’s possible to experience an attitude of gratitude that pervades even your very cognition. It’s possible to even be grateful for the idiot who cut you off on the freeway and flipped you the bird. I haven’t worked out how to be grateful for THAT one just yet… but I’m a work in progress.
So, while I definitely feel grateful for the “big things” in life, I feel like they have been talked about already by a lot of people and, frankly, some of what I feel for those big things is too personal for a blog. Instead, I wanted to acknowledge some of the little things that I am grateful for that often go overlooked, but that I have thought of as a result of exploring gratitude. –That and the fact that I can’t seem to get back to sleep.
Twist ties. I am thankful for those ridiculous little bits of metal wire wrapped in paper that you have to twist off the bread bag. They make things SO much easier. Think about it. How annoying would it be without those? Eh? Eh? And we use them for everything!
Lawn Mowers. I may be strange, but I actually like mowing the lawn. I like the way it looks and there is something therapeutic about walking the grass back and forth. But more importantly, I love the smell of fresh cut grass. Admit it! You have been driving past a ball park on that first perfect spring day with the windows down and you catch the whiff of the newly mowed field and think, “Ah, spring. Finally!”
Goosebumps. I know it seems strange, but how else are you going to recognize that 6th sense when something isn’t right? It makes watching scary movies SO much more fun. Plus, and more importantly, they are what tell you that you’re feeling something magical when someone special is close enough to touch… I’m just sayin’
Air. Okay, this might fall under the section of “Big things” but I am a fan of air. And there are even different kinds of air like the air after a rain storm or the windy air on a mountain peak. Plus, I am such a fan of breathing! Seriously, have you ever tried NOT breathing for a while? It sucks! Also, air returns you back to so many of those big things like music, talking, singing, hearing, weather, sense of smell, possibility of life in general.
I think that for the next little while I am going to try to observe things that I am grateful for. I’m going to try to pay special attention to the little things. Not to diminish the importance of the big things, but rather to cultivate that gratitude oriented point of view. Try it! It’s amazing what you find to be thankful for.
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