33 Days of Gratitude - Day 33: Be Glad In the Gift of Today

As I began my 33 Days of Gratitude journey, I did not have a plan for what I would write throughout the project, nor did I ever get ahead of myself by writing ahead. I took each day as it came, breathing deeply as the air turned from crisp autumn freshness to the slippery slush of old man winter.

As the journey comes to a close, I feel reinvigorated and thoroughly refreshed, as I am again reminded of the richness of life. I am blessed as a woman to feel sanctity in the roles I have had the luxury of holding – mom, wife, friend, giver, taker, holder, helper, worker, believer and general soul of the earth.

I have learned, more than ever, that I love to write. I love words and love to get a thought out of my head and onto paper. I love sharing my writing with others, although this effort takes courage and a leap of faith, both of which time has helped to again bubble out of my heart – splashing delicately and with great sparkle onto the pages of my life.

I am thankful for the gifts I have been fortunate to enjoy each day, and at times feel I could weep with joy at the treasures perched beneath our old slate roof. Our home is a symbol of gladness in my heart and is a home that has provided the perfect nest for me to learn who I am not only as mother, but as an adult woman, a lady with love to share with the world.

I am thankful for the blessings of homemade pizza and Cabernet Sauvignon on a frosty December evening at home. I am thankful for the smell of rich, strong coffee in the morning and the feel of my soft, snugly, flannel purple pajamas that I wear on most nights. I am thankful for the scent of orange and clove and the talks with a little girl on a dead end sidewalk. I am thankful for work, for play, for challenges, and for the richness of a relationship with God, a friend who is up all night, even when I would rather be asleep.

Through a commitment to living with, and sharing in gratitude, I have been reminded how much I love my life – not because it is perfect, not because it is easy, but because it is mine. We are blessed to be alive. We have been given the chance to be ourselves, to be the best we can be, and to be glad in the gift of today. I am thankful. I wish the same for you.