33 Days of Gratitude

November 11th (11-11-11) marks my 33rd birthday. I feel grateful to celebrate this special day, and feel thoroughly blessed to enjoy the rich gifts that come with being a mom, a wife and a woman with a creative spirit. Life is a gift and birthdays are special – regardless of our age, or 'grown-up' status. I love to celebrate life, adventure in the ordinary and the resourceful pleasures of making something out of nothing.

As a gift to myself, I am committing to 33 Days of Gratitude, which starts on November 11th. From that date and for the next 33 days, I will consciously breathe, taste, touch and listen to the beautiful, yet simple pleasures in my life with new eyes. I will try my best to approach these 33 Days of Gratitude with the shining, bright eyes of a child that sees the world with wonder and amazement at the first glimpse of a crescent moon on a dark, fall evening or at the smell of blueberry muffins coming out of the oven on a quiet Saturday morning spent sipping coffee in pajamas.

Life is wonderful. Life is to be treasured. I believe in the power of gratitude and have experienced the freedom that comes into our lives when we live with a spirit of thankfulness. Throughout my gratitude journey, I will post short, daily moments of gratitude on my blog – www.totallytownies.com and a conclusion to this special journey will be featured on Patch on December 13th.

I invite you to participate in your own gratitude journey through creating a gratitude journal. I started my first gratitude journal at the age of 21 while attending college in New York City, living just behind Lincoln Center on West 64th Street. I lived on the 12th floor of a standard cement apartment complex with the grand and glorious Lincoln Center to my right, and a public housing development, “the projects” to my left.

Living a life of gratitude is not about changing anything or waiting for anyone – it is about living gratefully now. Give gratitude a chance and freedom may just soar in your soul.