Finding gratitude
Ironic, isn’t it?
It took a potentially fatal condition to introduce me to what’s now a popular phrase – a “gratitude list.”
Pick up any self-help book or check any self-help blog and you see the term.
Therapists recommend writing a “gratitude list” to reaffirm the positive in your life.
It took many months of Al-Anon – and letting Jacob find his own way – before the concept of a “gratitude list” had meaning.
Today, walking Charlie, our 3-year-old Greyhound, I ponder what makes me most grateful.
It begins knowing that Jacob has more than 9 years in recovery. I never take that for granted. And soon is his upcoming marriage to a young woman who is his perfect “better half.”
Gratitude goes even deeper.
Topping the list are the big three – family, friends and a home.
But there are smaller moments, those that fill my heart in the quiet of Charlie’s daily walks.
-The gracefulness and sheer beauty of this animal by my side
-A first-grader in her navy uniform, pink cheeks and ponytail, on her first day of school
-Memories of my mother
-That I still have memory!
-Al-Anon and AA
-A lunch date with a longtime friend
-The feel of fine mist on my bare arms
-And the open gate that welcomes me home, again
The gratitude list changes.
There are always items to add.
And for you?
Will you share yours?
Originally published on lisahillmanauthor.com.
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