Gratitude

It is good just to stop and take time to be grateful.  I try to have this attitude of thankfulness in all things but it is the specifics that get you to this point.  I can not list them all but I will share this morning some of the things that I am grateful for and why.

1.  I am glad to be alive.  I am sixty two and have been with those who are about to die and those who have died.  I was told once that the cancer I had could kill me, that I was going to die, and there was nothing I could do about it.  I am not afraid of death but I am familiar with it.  I choose to live.

I have lots of reasons to embrace life.  Sky who needs me, and and helps me see the importance of each new day.  Sam and Liesl and Owen who share their lives with me and allow me to continue to be their Mother but in exciting new ways.  My job at PDO and the kids who motivate me to see and explore the world every day for the "first" time.  My church who accepts me for who I am, loves and supports me, and accepts the way I have chosen to follow God's will.  My extended family which enriches my life by just being who they are and letting me share.

2.  I am glad I can hear.  Losing hearing in my right ear has made a dramatic change in my life.  I know that the choices I made years ago to have the radiation and kill the cancer and extend my life are the reasons for my hearing loss but that does not make it any easier.  I love to hear in stereo.  The hearing aide can only give me sense of what that sounds like.  I am not completely deaf.  My left ear works fine, but we were designed to hear with two receivers.  I miss what I could be hearing but I am grateful that with help I can still hear most of what is in the world around me.

3. I am grateful that at this point in my life I have some financial security.  There is enough for Sky and me to live our lives and share with others.  So many people helped me throughout my life that I am paying back by paying forward.  I love being able to enjoy this privilege.

4.  I am grateful that God gave me the ability to write.  I could not survive without the written word.  It is the way I communicate the best.  Hopefully it is the way that I can make a positive difference in other's lives.

This barely scratches the surface of what I am grateful for.  I could write for hours and never complete my list.  This has been an important exercise for me because when I think of God's grace and my abundance I do not have room to feel negative about anything.  Now that I have taken the time to express gratitude, I can honestly say,  "Thank you God for this beautiful day and the gift of life.  I am sincerely grateful."