No Regretro

I wanted to write a few words about gratitude today and ended up thinking more about my relative lack of that quality. Not that I never feel it, because I do––just not at the level (or with the frequency) my daily experience merits. It's true. Every time something traumatic happens in my life, the one thing I immediately realize is that I wasn't grateful enough for my circumstances as they existed before. Without fail, my appreciation for the status quo was out of sync with the quality and enormity of my blessings. In other words, I didn't realize how good I had it...until things got worse!

Needless to say, retroactive gratitude is a bust. Getting the best bang for your thankfulness buck means staying in the moment. Finding joy in the goodness of today is sweet. Grieving that lost goodness tomorrow? Not so much.

With that in mind, I submit the following list of things I am grateful for today, right now, this minute:

1. a Heavenly Father who listens to and leads me

2. a husband I would choose all over again

3. children who make me proud every day

4. adorable grandkids

5. extended family members and strong roots

6. enough close friends to fill my needs

7. enough really good friends to need me

8. the chance to serve a congregation of young adults

9. financial security

10. a comfortable, cozy home

11. beautiful, peaceful surroundings and 5 senses to enjoy them

12. good health for me and my loved ones (or good enough health)

I'll stop with an even dozen, but I could go on indefinitely. We are also blessed with spiritual gifts, and these enhance the quality of life immeasurably: intelligence, talents, curiosity, sense of humor, the ability to give and receive love...Again, I could go on forever.

This year, I will focus on being grateful every day and not in retrospect, enjoying life in full measure and mindfulness––from the small, steady things to the large, life-changing ones––complete with frequent stops to smell the roses (ever blooming) in between.