Gratitude…. an Attitude by Karen A. Lech
It is a fresh, new day, a brand-spankin’ new morning, a blank
page on which to write another chapter, or even paragraph of my
life. The kids are off to school, the house is quiet. This
morning I sit inside in my favorite rocking chair. I usually
like to sit out on the deck, taking in the morning air and
sounds, but it rained yesterday evening and a bit through the
night, so the benches and patio furniture are too wet. It is
also much cooler out, and the skies look like they may not be
done releasing their moisture. I sip my morning coffee, steaming
hot, with just the right amount of powdered creamer and a dollop
of heavy cream, just the way I like it, and of course in a china
cup with a saucer. My hands play with luxurious yarn, soft as
butter and butter-colored too. I feel the stitches of the afghan
I am crocheting and while I do these things, as I do nearly
every morning, I pray and think. For some reason, today, this
very morning, while my mind drifts along many paths of thought,
I look at the colors and texture of this afghan/throw, call it
what you will, and I am struck as if by lightning, with
gratitude.
I was thinking about my job, praying to work different hours,
(not work at all?) and have things easier in life. More time to
devote to my children, the strength I need to take care of my
household, wishing for the money I am needing so desperately
right now. Talking to God, half-musing, I asked the question,
what am I doing wrong? Am I just lazy to want these things? BAM!
I looked at the bright colors of interwoven yarn stitches and
felt the softness, and said, “Thank you, God, for letting me do
these things, for letting me play with yarn, and for my talents.
then… bubbling out of me/my thoughts a listing of all I have to
be grateful for. I started and could not stop for the list would
be endless…
Thank you, God, for my sight, my hearing, my hands. Thank you,
God for the house I live in Thank you, God for my job. What
would I do if I did not have it? Thank you for letting me PLAY
with all the delightful things of this earth! Cooking,
gardening, knitting, crocheting, thank you for my children thank
you for each breath of life you have given me! thank you for
every hand I have ever held for every kiss I have ever received
for every orgasm for every time of romance for every smile for
my animals for this coffee I drink. for every morsel of food I
have tasted for sights and beauty of this world, for vacations,
for the places I have seen. for friends for every penny I have
received for all the money I have spent ( and mis spent) For
every cigarette I have smoked, even though I know it is not good
to do so For every sip of fine wine for every time I smelled my
children’s hair freshly washed for every dawning for storms and
winds for oceans and the mighty sea creatures for the night and
the velvet blue sky studded with stars and the moon glow for the
scent of rain for the scents of human skin for cameras and
photographs that tell stories and hold memories for the delight
of being able to see for every note of music I have heard for
every grain of sand on the beaches, and how wet sand feels on
the bottom of my feet when they are hot the sense of feeling,
touching the soft blankets that cover me for the beauty and
freshness of a new born baby for the smiles of my aunt who is so
sickly for my parents and relatives, brother and sister, and
their families Friends near and far, and their hearts I can
touch, and how they touch mine. for emotions for every time I
was held as a baby, for my daddy telling me stories and loving
me, for my mother’s cooking and rocking me to sleep as a baby
for every slap I received for my wrong doings as a child for
nail polish …. for every bird I have seen flying for every time
I have visited a zoo for riding on an elephant and being able to
touch her skin and observe the tufts of hair on her back, and
feel the mighty sway of movement of her hips as she walked…that
was really powerful, and I love elephants! For water that
splashes in my sink and the kitchen sink with its division into
two, for my twins got baths in there and how much easier it was
to prop their two little bodies, one on each side of the sink
and keep bath time somewhat “contained” and not have to bend
over a big bathtub as my back was so sore. …and each thought
leads to more, more to be grateful for, for each item I thought
of lead on to memories and expanding on why I was thankful, how
this felt, how that looked, and the wealth of all these
blessings is overwhelming and endless.
I thought of the victims of the hurricane Katrina, and other
disasters, and think, what do they have to be grateful for at a
time like this? But if they stop and think, amidst the woes of
this very, very hard time in their lives, it will somehow help
immensely to stop and think of all that has come before that
they have received. It is hard to be encouraged when the storms
of life press close around and one feels as if there is no hope
for the future. Re building is awfully hard when your mind can
barely cope with the idea of just putting one foot in front of
the other to walk down life’s path, much less lifting a brick.
So, may it help those who suffer, not only the multitude of
Americans thrashed about by the wrath of a hurricane named
Katrina, but those who are in nursing homes, those who are at
this moment breathing their last, eaten by the ravaging monster
of cancer, hearts devastated by loss of any kind, to know that
helping hands are there, and they are loved and prayed for. And
as they have received so much in their lives in the past, God
has an abundance, an overflowing bank account of love, and gifts
He gives. We just have to remember them, and look forward to our
next breath, our next smile, our never ending gifts in life.
Karen A. Lech copyright 2005