Growing up, my dad used to say, “take some time to smell the roses.”  As a teenager, I would roll my eyes and flip my hair.  I’m sure my response was something like, “Dad, I do take time to do this. Duh!”  As an adult, these words no longer make me roll my eyes; instead, the words open my eyes to the beauty in our world.

Here I offer my gratitude for my day-to-day, my journey, and the big, beautiful world that I see each day.

• The birds that enjoy seeds from my single bird feeder on my deck.
• My son, who makes a heart out of his fingers and says to me, “Mom, guess who I love?” (me, of course)
• My daughter who flits and flutters around a room full of people, making jokes and having conversations about letters and her Christmas wish list.
• The mountains – that offer stability and a constant reminder that we are surrounded by beauty, by hope, and by something greater than the self.
• The construction workers outside my new condo unit.  As loud as their hammers may be, they did, indeed build my home and I love it.
• My career in education.  The teens and teachers I work with each day bring me joy, fill me up, and remind me the great work that is still ahead of me.
• My coffee.  Need I say more?
• The Christmas lights that are decked on houses and fences and tress (before Thanksgiving).
• The seat warmer in my car on hot on a chilly, ice-cold morning.
• The incredible variety and array of options in the grocery store for gluten- and dairy-free eaters.
• My grandmother, Gran, who showed me grace in all things and that life is about learning.
• The good morning kisses and cuddles from two special children.
• My family – because they do so much and they don’t even know it.  My mom, in particular, because she continues to model love, compassion, joy, “just-being,” and motherhood.
• My boyfriend, who offers patience and a warm heart when the days feel like an intermittent hail-storm with pockets of sleet.
• Every experience in my life (both gray and pink) that helped me become the woman I am today.
• My friends, though spread across 8 different states, are some of my small heart thumps and laugh-out-loud joy.
• My learning about motherhood.
• And, of course, the roses, or sometimes the lilies, that I take time to smell.   This is my reminder that the small things are really the big tickets for a joy-filled life.

Yes, I am grateful.  What is your gratitude?