"I have 2 Sisters!" The eternal words of pure love coming from the mouth of my little sister as a young girl. My older sister even fashioned a silver ring with this saying stamped around the band it became so infamous. Even though she is all grown up, she was and still is so proud to have her two sisters, and we are so proud to be blessed with her sisterhood as well!
Part "2" of the Gratitude blog.
Gratitude or the act of thanksgiving is the acknowledgement and appreciation of some act received that provides a benefit or fulfills a need. Gratitude is linked to emotional health and well being. Studies have shown that Gratitude therapies prove consistent marked results to improve coping skills, decrease stress and aide in lessoning chance for depression.
Gratitude has been classified as a virtue as well as a now very accepted form of spiritual practice and healing resource.
"To learn the grammar of gratitude, practice saying "thank you" for happy
and challenging experiences, for people, animals, things, art,
memories, dreams. Count your blessings, and praise God. Utter blessings,
and express your appreciation to everything and everyone you encounter.
By blessing, we are blessed." ********
I have displayed, right on my kitchen cabinet, a saying about gratitude that has helped me get through dozens of difficult times. Summed up for me (and you my dear readers) this paragraph states that it is virtually impossible to be negative when you have a smile on your face! This is why we have even more reason to be grateful for our trials. Where else would we be given the opportunity to dig deep within the wells of our being to the place of endless love and pull a smile out of the darkest of times?
A smile, a grateful thought, a gaze at your child, a walk in the park, breath, life, we have ever so much to be thankful for in this life. For most of reading this, we are cozy and well fed with extra time to spend enjoying our lives. There is little we can truly complain about even though none of us has a carefree life without difficult time. It is these moments that can give birth to a new consciousness.
"the miracle of changed consciousness
comes from placing the attention
above the difficulties of the day.
with deep Gratitude... comes true humility,
a key to the Fountain of Youth.
Gratitude lights the way to enthusiasm.
Enthusiasm clears the path to Love.
Love is the key to freedom."
I am grateful today for the simple fact that Christmas lights makes my daughter happy. How much more joyful a car ride can be when you are keeping watch for the sparkle and glitter that signals a most wonderful time of the year indeed. Her little voice acknowledging another display with delight as her little eyes get heavy with sleep.
Sometimes I forget while driving she is there when I am lost in thought or concentrating on the task at hand.
Or sometimes I forget to be patient when I need to concentrate and she is demanding attention on her...NOW!
When in a difficult instant, that instant, you can choose to let all of the nonsense stop and enter the place of joy for every single display of Christmas lights from here to Missouri...
Gratitude.
(I haven't made it to Missouri yet but I'm in the game.)
I am certainly overflowing with joy this Christmas.
A new appreciation for the celebration of a gift of love so pure and true that even the most avid skeptic cannot extinguish its radiance. Christmas represents a time when Jesus came close to us, a time where we were given the gift of seeing all that can be conveyed of God, in human terms. And so as to not be discouraged by the fact that we no longer live amongst this example, Christ gave us the gift of His love, a fire burning in our hearts, the Holy Spirit.
Nice. What a gift.
