Grateful

Grateful for family

Grateful for love

Grateful for health

Grateful for smiles and laughs

Grateful for music and dance

Grateful for good memories

Grateful for sun and rain

Grateful for new life

Grateful for learning

Grateful for choices

Grateful for books

Grateful for Zoom and FaceTime

Grateful for benevolence, empathy and good people

Grateful for the necessities: food, water, shelter, clothing

Yes, there is plenty to be worried about. Plenty to be irritated about. Plenty to be furious about. Plenty to be heartbroken about. Plenty of challenges and struggles. Plenty of difficult choices. All of these things are very present in my life, along with the gratefulness. Things are crazy and scary for everyone right now. The known and unknown is uncomfortable and rough. It just is! These things cannot be discounted or pushed to the side. They are real and they are here and we have to deal. It can all be absolutely overwhelming. More reason not to overlook or push gratefulness to the side.  Balance.

Easier said than done? Of course. But who said everything was easy? I make it a point to continuously acknowledge and remember the things I am grateful for. I am thankful and appreciative and my heart is full.

So talk to your family and loved ones often, smile and laugh, sit out in the sun and read, get lost in the music, dance, kiss the fresh air, reminisce on good memories, learn something new, stay hydrated and fuel up on nutritious foods… then smile and laugh some more. What I’m trying to say is, slather each day with a big ol’ sloppy glob of gratefulness! Let it drip and ooze all down the sides of you and your day until it gathers in a big sticky puddle at your feet. Then scoop it up and toss it back up, into the air, over your head… and let it fall back down all over you again! Get it?

Be. Grateful.