Gratitude

The Power of Gratitude is amazing! Here is a website which has wonderful suggestions on helping you to be more grateful & the research results on the benefits it provides.

I love the family ritual idea! I also don't think people say "Thank You" enough in the world...for the stuff we take for granted! When is the last time you thanked your children for something? How about your significant other? We usually reserve "Thank Yous" for when people do something out of the ordinary or beyond what we expect etc. How about a Thank You for doing the laundry, making dinner, waking you up in the morning etc. And you really do have to start when children are young & show by example. I remember my youngest niece's first words "Thank You". Isn't that just wonderful! Not cookie or even daddy! :-) It was Halloween & every house she went to she said "Thank You" and everyone could not believe she said it, she looked too young. The next week she went to the doctor & when the doctor looked in one ear, "Thank You", in the other "Thank You"...every part he checked out she said "Thank You." The doctor was laughing & said she was going to run out of Thank Yous! Ha! She is still this way. She is sooo compassionate.

"I'm Sorry" is another one I think is not nearly said enough! Once we were in the mall & a women bumped into my little niece. It was clearly the women's fault, many do not look down for kids. I really think my niece knew it was the lady's fault but she said, "I'm sorry" to the women. The women turned & looked at her & her expression on her face immediately changed & she apologized with a tone like she knew she was the one that should have said it. It is interesting because I could have complained about the woman in front of my niece or told the women off "Why don't you watch where you're walking...there are children here!" but I learned from my niece you will get others to understand much better the way she did it.

My niece is one of the things I am grateful for! She teaches me so very much!  

So what am I grateful for today?

* Having lunch & dinner with my best friend who flew in from the East Coast.
* Talking to my nieces today on the phone
* The power not going off despite nasty T-Storms (just started to go "Boom Boom" again!)
* For the Boom-Booms...I actually sleep better...hopefully it will last until I go to sleep!
* Just checked...it is pouring! Ya, my flowers are getting sprinkled on!
* My back & neck seemed to get much better this afternoon as I was shopping for flowers in the sun.
* My stomach is feeling better since this afternoon!
* Having LOTS of candles to light during the storm! :-)
* My Saturn Vue...much easier to get in & out with my foot & back problems.
* Finding a few more plants for my deck.
* My babies to pet & keep me entertained.
* Finding a few clay pots & discounted! :-)
* A good 7 hours of sleep...better than 4! 
* Medication for my back/neck when nothing else works!
* The police officers who patrol my area & caught the kids ringing doorbells late at night!
* The 2 new Betta Fish...yep the zoo has grown...but they had awesome thread-like tails!
* My friends who email me stuff which makes me laugh!
* Even my officer friends who send me "gross" stuff! Ha! They try!

I can go on & on...but what are you grateful for?