Ordinary Gratitude

The problem with keeping a gratitude list is that I tend to notice the same things all the time. But gratitude is an attitude that needs cultivating…at least for me. And the times when it’s hardest to keep a positive outlook are the times I most need the spiritual exercise: when kids are sick, and life is busier than usual (like this past weekend, with its tee ball, late-night movie at the park, commencement, two weddings, recital and rehearsal).

But once in a while, a quiet appreciation for ordinary life sparks of its own accord, and needs only a gentle breath of effort to burn bright and illuminate the beauty of things I might otherwise take for granted.

And so today, I am grateful for the beauty of evening light playing on the woods behind my home…

…for the discovery of music that entrances my daughter and fills my spirit with joy…

…for the opportunity to sleep with my husband (Julianna’s spent the last few nights in my place, because when she’s sick, she won’t sleep without Daddy)…

…for the opportunity to sleep in my own bed…

…for a bowl of strawberries, grown by the labor of my own hands…

 

…for new acquaintances in the land of Holland…

…for long morning cuddles at the breast, completely irrelevant to nutrition, but holding on to the nursing bond as long as we can.

 Now it’s your turn. What ordinary beauty can you see or hear or feel right now, in this moment, right where you are—computer screen and all?