Attitude of Gratitude

The past few weeks have been challenging for me.  Quite challenging.  For several different reasons that I won't get into right now.  But in different conversations at different times this week, both my mother and my mother in law suggested, in their own way, a need to focus on the good things in life.  And then today in church, what was our lesson about in R.S.?  Gratitude, of course!  So this is me, throwing up my hands to the universe, and saying..."Ok!  I get it!  I need to be more grateful!"  This is me, trying.

I am thankful to be a mother.  Motherhood has not turned out the way I always envisioned it.  It is about 1 billion times harder than I ever thought it would be.  But in many ways it is also 1 billion times better than I thought it would be.  My capacity to love has stretched farther than I ever thought was possible, and I am thankful everyday that Aubrey is mine.

I am thankful for Matt.  I know I sing his praises a lot here on this little blog of mine, but that is only because he is (and always will be) the most important person in my life.  He is my daily reminder that dreams really do come true, and I just love him a whole big bunch!

I am so thankful that we live close to our parents, and Matt's siblings.  (I would love to live close to my siblings too...but I guess that would just make things TOO perfect:)  The relationships that we have with our parents and siblings is just so precious.  Sunday dinners, card games, long talks, visits to the lake, Holiday traditions...all of these small things add up to tremendous blessings.  And I cannot envision life any other way.

I am VERY thankful to have a handful of close girlfriends.  I never knew how important these relationships would be until I became I stay at home mom.  But how awesome is it to have girlfriends to talk to, have girl's nights with, to laugh with, and to help break up the day when you think you might lose your mind?  P.S.  Is it about time for a movie night, or what?

I am thankful for our physical comforts.  We are not wealthy by any stretch of the imagination.  But we own our own home (well, we are the owners of a mortgage), we have two great and reliable cars, we eat well, we have some fun, and we have some money in the bank.  We don't worry about how we are going to pay our bills, and debt does not keep us up at night.  I would say that makes us pretty darn blessed.  Especially in today's economy.

I am thankful to be me.  I am glad that I have an education.  I am glad that I love to read, and write.  I am glad to be healthy.  I am glad to have a body that let's me work.  I am thankful for my ability to think, and express myself.  And I am thankful for the talents that I have been given.  I think I am a good friend, and a good wife, and a good mother.  And even though I know I could do better at all of those things, I know I work hard at them every day.

That's a start.