Day 19: Grace

Henry has a CD of Bible songs and This Little Light of Mine includes a chorus that I wasn't familiar with but just love:

On Monday He gave me the gift of love,
Tuesday peace came from above,
On Wednesday He told me to have more faith
Thursday He gave me a little more grace
On Friday He told me to watch and pray,
On Saturday He told me what to say
On Sunday He gave me the power divine,
to let my little light shine.


It makes me stop and think whenever I'm having a day like today.  Henry was tough.  He's still not 100% although so much better, hasn't slept well in several days (so we haven't either), and was just being a pill.  He was busting out every toddler move there is--saying no or mine in response to everything, doing the limp protester move when we'd try to pick him up if he didn't want up, crying if we didn't pick him up when he wanted up, and on and on.  We get so spoiled because he is such a good-natured kid and has been since birth that a bad day makes it hard on everyone.  So today, I'm thankful for grace.  Grace I receive when I'm not at my finest--when I am unloveable yet loved--because remembering that reminds me to extend the same grace to others.

Day 17 & 18: volunteer opportunity/our health

Yesterday's attempt to post was thwarted by a sick baby and then a meeting in the evening where I stayed and chatted for way too long afterwards.  I'm thankful for the opportunity to do that as well as the opportunity I was given in which I met the people.  It was a bit fortuitous--I was a provisional with Junior League when I met the directors of the organization Once Upon a Theatre.  I'd seen the flyers at school but wasn't able to afford a production of the show as a teacher.  As the librarian, I was able to do fundraising through book fairs, etc. and brought them to the school for all the students.  In the meantime, I became friends with them.  When I moved up to the high school, I was contacted by the director about joining their board.  I happily did so because it is a great organization that has a really great focus--bringing live theater to school children.  Last spring, I had the opportunity to once again combine my involvement with the two groups when JLA was awarding grant money to other nonprofits.  OUT was one of the recipients of the money to provide a show for a low-income school in town.  Love being able to help out both groups.

And today, I'm thankful for our health.  Aside from some general aches and pains and sniffles and what-have-you, we are lucky to enjoy generally good health.  There have been no hospital stays, few doctor visits, and just a general state of wellbeing around these parts.  Of course, I write this on a day in which Henry stayed home from school with a fever of 101+ but it is thankfully just a bad cold and nothing a little extra cuddling and some medicine can't help.  We truly are fortunate (not just us but our entire family which thankfully, also enjoys overall good health).

Day 16: my stuff

I'm sure there are those who would argue it is wrong to be thankful for material things but I'm not really thinking conspicuous consumption type stuff.  I'm thinking of my house, my car, my clothes, all the things around the house that make it a home.  I look around my little house and while there is always something I'd like to change, I really do like this house.  I've liked it since we first wandered into the model home almost 12 years ago.  It is little (cozy in realtor vernacular) but it is ours.  Our cars aren't new or fancy but they are reliable and they are ours.  I might get tired of my clothes when I'm trying to figure out what to wear but how fortunate I am to have so many to choose from!  How fortunate we are to have four walls and heat and A/C and electricity!  We've got comfy furniture and plenty of toys for Henry to play and for us to trip over.  We work hard to have the things we have and we try not to be frivolous with our purchases, and I'm thankful for all of it.

Day 15: technology

I guess it is an odd thing to be thankful for--and there are some days that I'm not happy to have it around--but what a different world we live it because of technology.  Won't it be crazy to explain to Henry how we were in college before we had email addresses?  And in our 20s before we had cell phones?  That at one point in time phones were attached to the wall and we had to walk to change the TV channel?

To be able to sent a quick text to Paul to explain some little something is just so easy.  Random phone calls to ask silly pointless questions?  Love having that ability.  I so appreciate being able to keep up with my family and friends via email or Facebook.  I love seeing their children growing up and hearing about little things that they do day-to-day.  We are all so busy with life and work and living that we don't get a chance to call and chat or write letters.  I try to be good about sending a quick card from time to time but even that has fallen off much more than it should.  But to be able to send a note right then that hey, I'm thinking of you--that's wonderful.

And yes, sometimes it does become a hassle and it would be nice to have dinner without Paul's phone ringing.  But with the good always comes the bad and we usually have the balance between the two.  So, technology.  Woot!

Day 14: together time

Today's gratitude moment is for those moments that we are able to spent with each other.  Those little times that make a nothing-special day a little special.  Make a good day turn into a great one and a make a bad one better.  It can be the time in the evening when the three of us are playing together before bed or the chance for Paul and me to visit after Henry has gone to bed.  Maybe it is enjoying our Saturday morning burritos.  Tonight, Paul was going to play pool early and wouldn't make it home for dinner.  I had a couple of errands to run after getting Henry and Paul asked if we could come up to visit afterward and maybe early dinner.  We were the only people at the restaurant and it was a nice way to spend a little time together.  We all three left, smiling, cheerful, and thankful for that time together.  I love my little family.  I love my little life.