Gratitude

Day 4: Cultivate your gratitude

Ten things I am grateful for:

1. My Husband. This totally goes without saying and was definitely the first thing that popped into my mind. I lucked out with Richard. He is so patient, loving, hard-working, smart, and fun. He is my best friend and I love him dearly. My life has been infinitely better since he has been in it.
2. My Faith. This is far beyond gratitude for the religion that I joined so many years ago. I love the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and I happily call myself a Mormon, but I am especially grateful for fundamental doctrine that is at the very core of my religion--the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I am humbled and grateful for the things I have experienced that have made my belief in Christ and the relief he offers us all unshakable. 
3. My Family. They are my best friends and my support group. They are my go-to's for cooking help, medical advice, occasional vents, and fun. I'm grateful to live so close to most of them, and to see the out-of-towners as often as I do. 
4. Music. I feel like music is magic, or at least a little piece of heaven that God put on earth for us to discover and enjoy. I love listening to music, writing music, performing music, and teaching music. It's a cool catalyst for friendship and the perfect catharsis for anything that ails you.
5. Sleep. This may seem silly, but it makes everything all better in the morning. Ever have a bad day? Ever feel out of sorts? Go to bed! You will feel better about life in the morning. Trust me.
6. Creativity. I'm grateful for the little spark of creation that God left in all of us. I love that we feel compelled to create a life for ourselves and our families. I love that so many feel compelled to create music, literature, art, and so many other things of great beauty. I love the human experience and those who seek to capture fragments of it through their own divine creativity. 
7. My Health. It sounds like something an old person would say, but I am grateful for the health I've been able to enjoy so far in life. I'm always amazed at the places my body can take me and the things it allows me to do. I'm grateful for how forgiving my body has been in the past of the junk food and wear and tear I have exposed it to. I'm learning to recognize the gentle and sometimes painful warnings it gives me when I have pushed it over its limits. 
8. My Employment. Especially in today's economy, I'm grateful to have a job that I like in an environment that is healthy and welcoming. I didn't ever think I'd end up throwing my degree on the back burner and working for a couple awesome entrepreneurs instead, but here I am. Do you want to know what won me over? The toilet paper. Yup, the toilet paper. Go wipe with the scratchy, coarse, lousy excuse for TP that they stock in those teacher's bathrooms and then come visit me at work and wipe with what we use. That stuff is quality. My employers don't skimp on the small stuff, which speaks volumes for the way they handle the big stuff.
9. Food. Totally love it. Need it. Want it. Oh, baby! I haven't always loved food. I used to think it was just a big waste of time. Now that life has slowed down a bit from the mad days of college, I really love me a good meal. I've loved being able to cook clean meals with my hubby and reap the benefits of a healthier diet. I come from a large family of food snobs as well, which is awesome because whenever we get together there is delicious food involved. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it....mmm, mmm. 
10. Prayer. At times when I have felt the most alone, isolated from all who know and love me, I have always been able to talk to the one who knows me and loves me the most, and for that I am very grateful. I'm thankful that the lines of communication between God and his children, you and me and all of us, have not been severed and never will be. I'm grateful that He listens and answers our prayers, sends us relief, and cheers us on and we face life's struggles. At the end of the day I am most grateful that I can talk to my Heavenly Father and know that he is listening.