Thinking Thankful

A friend of mine wrote about a friend of hers who challenged his friends to spend a week recognizing the things they are thankful for.  He noted the blessing it is for us and those around us to remember how much we have to be grateful for. 

This idea struck home with me.  This has been a rough year...not just for me and my family; it seems to be a hard year for A LOT of people.  It seems to be raining troubles and there hasn't been much of a break in the deluge.  Thing after thing after thing seems to be falling in the laps of loads of people.  2011 has been a year of interminable trials.

I wears on you (you know the feeling).  This week has felt exhausting, even though nothing in particular has happened.  It's soccer season so Josh isn't home much and when he is home he is working on school work (the college kind and the high school kind).  That leaves me to do it all at home (soccer season always reinforces my intense respect of single parents...I don't know how you do it all). 

Last night, this frustration resulted in the breaking of the ceramic cake topper that Josh and I had on our wedding cake.  And I can't even get mad at anyone because it was my fault (I was upset at the kids and as I left the room I tossed a book I had been reading them -- "Where the Red Fern Grows" -- onto the bookshelf but it slid and knocked this piece over).  That'll teach me to leave the room in a huff.

Thankfully, I was able to glue it back together (notice the lovely cracks on the boy's chest).   We carefully pieced the day back together as well and went to bed all happy at each other.

Anyway, when life gets to the point where frustrations are at their worst, it is time to stop looking at the problems and annoyances and instead focus on what is right with the world.  So this gratitude idea could not come at a better time for me -- I need it. 

So here we go.

Today, I am thankful for:

1.  Super Glue

2. Good (and very worn) books

Both of these showed up at just the right moment (one to help me have some peaceful moments with the kids even when I was tired -- until the fighting started -- and the other to repair the damage done by the first one).  Each of them made my night just a little bit better in its own way. 

3. The sweet forgiveness of little children.  Even on my very worst day as a mother these small people are willing to look past my faults (which are many) and love me anyway. 

And I love them right back, which is a good thing too.

It is therapeutic to be thankful.  I think I'll have to keep at it this week.  It's penance I guess.  Besides it is a great way to get out of a frustrated funk.

I'd love to hear some of the things you are thankful for as well.  I'll bet it will remind me of all that is good in the world, and we all need that once in a while.