Gratitude Reflection Day Two

I wonder how these reflections will play out? As I anticpate writing them in the morning I imagine I will reflect on the day before, or maybe the night. Perhaps I will wonder about the day ahead? Right now, on this second morning of active attentiveness to gratitude I find myself stuck. Isn't that way it always is? I start out excited and raring to go but lose steam quickly. It's because discipline is difficult. Some years of my life I am really good at it, I have my practices and do them faithfully. But lately that is not the case. So, I will just offer up my thoughts and see where they take me.

Yesterday, my day off I did a lot of blogging. And I spoke about my gratitude for the blogging communities I participate in. Then I exercised. I went into the office to help the Mondady volunteer wrap boxes of candy for our college students. We send them off these care packages every year around the time of finals. I am grateful for our office volunteers. They take their responsibilities seriously and do a great job. Makes my life easier.

Afterwards I went to the Dr's office to pick up my friend, the one who is (still, thank God) pregnant with twins, the single mom who is 45 and pregnant with twins...sigh. I am grateful that she has been able, through the wonder of modern medicine, to stay off the pre-term labor that hospitalized her twice and has limited her to complete bed rest for the last two months. She's made some tough choices in her life, including acknowledging that she may never find the right partner for her. But she really wanted to birth her own baby. She worked hard to conceive and retain a pregnancy, many failed attempts. And here she is, 32 weeks along. If the timing works out I will be with her at the babies birth. Two little girls. I'm grateful she will have her own little family.

Then I came home and decorated a Christmas Tree with my daughter. Someone gave us an artificial tree which we put up in the picture window in our living room. We never use that room, and usually put up a real tree in the family room. But we liked the idea of a tree in that window. My daughter went to Target and bought red and gold ornaments, white lights, gold garland, gold sheer ribbon as garland, and gold stars. It's our "grown up" tree. I am grateful for m daughter who has grown into a fine young woman. Creative, intelligent, strong, self-willed, and learning to mold her strength with a bit of diplomacy. It's not the tree I would have created, but it was fun to follow her whim and see where it took us.

In a week or so we will get a live tree and set it up in the family room. It will be our eclectic tree with the ornaments we've handed down over the years. I look forward to that as well.

So today I am grateful for ordinary every day things in my life. The ordinary day in and day out of life. For children, for friends, for family, for church, for life.

Comments

Jan said…
Mompriest, your awareness opened up many views of gratitude for us to see.

Glad the pregnant friend continues to hold her babies within. 32 weeks sounds like a goodly amount of time; isn't term 40?

Your daughter and you decorating the extra tree sounds like a memory made. How nice.

It was nice for me to read that you have an eclectic live tree, which is what we end up having sometime.
Terri said…
Jan, 32 weeks is excellent, all things considered. They will leave her on the meds that prevent labor for another two weeks, or so. The babies are already 3lbs 10oz and 4lbs 5oz. She'd like to get them to five pounds each...which could happen in the next two weeks...at week 34 they will take her off the meds...so, Christmas babies...it would seem!
rev h-d said…
Praise and blessings to your friend. 32 weeks is good, 34 is better :) Blessings to you as you stand by her during this hard time.
I loved the story about your daughter. Babygirl got a little people nativity set from the in-laws and she has been setting it up all sorts of ways. Last night mary and joseph went out on a date and the shepherd and the sheepdog babysat baby Jesus. She may not remember it, but I'll remember it for her!
Diane M. Roth said…
I'm so glad about the mom and her twins!
thinking of her, and wishing I could experience a little of it.
I love your gratitude list.
ordinary is blessed time as well...
i like the gratitude reflections and in the spirit of advent have sorta picked up on it. so thank you
Katherine E. said…
Yes, I love your list as well. Neat to see how gratitude is part of the day, part of our live. This practice is really amazing.

Thanks for the Mennonite referral, btw.
lauraj said…
Wow, prayers and love to your brave friend. As I look towards 45 soon, I can't even imagine being pregnant with twins. Glad she has a good friend like you around.
Anonymous said…
Enjoying the list...hope you keep it going.
Barbara B. said…
your tree sounds great! :)
In AA=20+ years ago, I learned to make lists things I'm grateful for on one side of the page on one side of the page and things that p**s me off on the other side. Most often the gratitude side was much longer.

Thank you for reminding of this valuable tool. I am so grateful that my godchild who has been living in Turkey, Taiwan, Mexico and god knows where, is know settled in my home town of NYC for at least the nest 5 years until her husband finishes his residency. We are such good friends.

I am also grateful to make your acquaintance on the web
seethroughfaith said…
*Christmas twins and lovely tradition of ornaments ... your cup overflows ...

blessings xx

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