Friday, June 6, 2014

It's the Simple Things

"There are only two ways to live your life.  One is as though nothing is a miracle.  The other is as though everything is a miracle."
~Albert Einstein

I've kept a gratitude journal for years.  Long before Oprah recommended it.  The practice reminds me to look for daily small miracles.  Keeps me moving just a bit more gracefully through the muck and mire that life can deliver.  Some days I can list a dozen things I'm grateful for.  Other days I simply repeat, "I made it through the day."

After a recent challenging day when I kept bumping into sad and troubling news, I sat down and pressed myself to list 25 things.  I came up with the following:
  • the first Bing cherries of the season
  • a single beautiful Henry Fonda rose
  • the litter of feral kittens using our backyard as their playground
  • enjoying a movie matinee with John
  • homemade chocolate chip cookies, fresh out of the oven
  • an unexpected visit from an old friend
  • a glass of wine with a new friend
  • the recommendation of a good book that delivers as promised
  • an e-mail that brings a belly laugh
  • frozen yogurt with chocolate sprinkles on top
  • the new season of So You Think You Can Dance
  • a phone call from my brother or sister
  • a hummingbird hovering over the feeder
  • a mug of iced sun tea
  • comfortable shoes
  • a leisurely early morning walk
  • salmon sunsets
  • and coral dawns
  • a musical performance under the stars
  • any Castle rerun
  • finding something I thought I had lost
  • solving a challenging Sudoku, or a jigsaw puzzle, or a crossword puzzle
  • a smile from a stranger
  • learning to do something, anything, no mater how small on the computer - on my own
  • and always - "I love you"
Small miracles, but miracles nonetheless.  And it helped.  Now, can I come up with another 25 gratitudes?  What would John's list would contain?  Yours?