Gratitude (20)

Dear friend,

When was the last time you felt gratitude? When you think of the word gratitude what does it mean to you? The definition of gratitude is the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. For me, gratitude means more than just saying thank you to someone else, it's a feeling of thoughtfulness that fills you up and makes your heart swell.

There are days in our lives when we get stuck in the mud. Those are the days we are overwhelmed by our to-do list. All we see is the stress of getting everything done. We forget to be grateful for who we are and what we have. Those are the days we need reminders.

My father was a carpenter before he retired. He worked all over the state on a construction crew. He had an uncanny skill to lay out a job in his mind and calculate exactly what was needed for materials from the amount of lumber right down to the bag of nails. He's built multi-level houses and apartment buildings, hotels and garages. He built all my book shelves and bedroom furniture. He more than tripled the size of my childhood home and added on an in-law apartment for my grandparents when they got older. Whenever I needed help with something I knew my Dad could figure it out. I have always known my Dad as tall, handsome, strong, stubborn and very capable. He also happened to be legally blind.

My Mom taught me to drive initially but it was my Dad who helped me to feel confident behind the wheel. We would go on little adventures. He would take me out to dinner so I could drive or we'd just go for a ride. He knew the roads of our town like the back of his hand. He could guide me with landmarks and tell me to turn left when I see this or right when I see that. He had memorized all the names of the streets too. He was my first GPS. I trusted him to keep us from getting lost and he trusted me not to crash into anything. Our adventures became a habit as the years passed and his remaining vision slowly faded.

One day we were returning from one of our dinner dates, while Mom was at work, when he asked me if we could stop at the store. I groaned internally because I was in a bad mood from a long work day. Dinner had taken much longer than expected. I had a lot to do and still had a forty minute drive to get home. I was irritated and impatient. I reluctantly agreed. We parked and I trudged into the store with him behind me, hanging on to my shoulder. When we got inside I sighed and asked him what we were looking for. He said he wanted to buy a card and some flowers for my Mom because tomorrow was their anniversary.

Friend, I'm not going to lie, I almost sobbed right there in the front of the store. Here I was being an impatient jerk when all my Dad wanted to do was buy a gift for his sweetie for their anniversary. It was an action he couldn't do by himself. I felt terrible. I had completely forgotten about their anniversary. I fought back tears and gave him a bear hug while I sniffled into his shoulder. He patted me on the back as I asked him what kind of flowers he wanted. We spent another hour smelling flowers and reading cards together until we were both happy. It was a fun adventure and a valuable lesson in thoughtfulness that I will always be grateful for.

When you are feeling lost in the minutia of day to day life, friend, please take a moment to be grateful for one thing your body has done right for you that day. Do you have eyes to see with? Ears to hear with? Can you pick up things with your hands? Did you have a nice walk or run around the block?  If you are healthy, fall in love with the amazing bio-mechanical system that you call your body. There are so many people in this world who live happy and full lives with much less. Be grateful for everything your body can do for you. Be kind to your body. Don't focus on the things it can't do. Love yourself more today because you can, friend.

xo, Robin

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