I kept a “Gratitude Journal” for years before I ever started writing this blog. When I was going through some of the darkest days of my life (up to that point), I wrote in it every night. I proclaimed my gratitude for everything in my life…large and small. At the time, I hadn’t learned that we must be grateful in everything…good AND bad. Believe me, it is not easy to find gratitude in our most challenging places, but I have always made an attempt to at least look.

Sometimes my list was long…full of beautiful and glorious examples of my many blessings. Some days, I was hard pressed to find one thing. Sometimes I just wrote…I didn’t die today. And as hard as that day may have been, I found gratitude in getting to try again. Where your thoughts go, so goes your heart. By repeatedly focusing my attention to the many things I had to be grateful for, the little things I stumbled over really didn’t seem so bad.

When Mr. Virgo died, it took a very, very long time to find gratitude. Not in his dying, but in his living and that he chose to live what turned out to be the rest of his life…with ME. I found gratitude that he hadn’t suffered a long and lingering death. Or that he hadn’t become feeble and frail and in need of constant insufferable indignities to his person. He would have hated infirmity. I was grateful I said yes when he asked me out. It turned out there was so much to be grateful for.

As we live our day to day lives through the continuing pandemic and upheaval in the world, I do take comfort that my fight or flight response has calmed down considerably. I was beginning to clearly suffer adrenal burnout from the constant influx of cortisol. My “covid kitchen” body has seen its better days and I must say, I was tremendously relieved when our 50th High School Reunion was postponed till next year. It gives me more time to get this extra poundage off of my far too ample frame.

I checked in with my friends who also had their vaccines on Thursday. We are all faring pretty well the same…sore arm, maybe a little malaise. Nothing serious at the time of this writing. When I checked in with Diane, she reminded me of all the many blessings we have received through this mass vaccination effort. 

First, we live in a state that surprised us in having their act together surrounding the covid crisis. West Virginia is a shining example of how to administer vaccines in a steady and organized fashion. We didn’t have to struggle to get scheduled. Other than the little bobble thrown by Mother Nature last week, we didn’t have a bit of trouble getting both doses of the vaccine. We have a roof over our heads and food in our bellies. We are fortunate to be retired with a steady, albeit fixed income. Our kids are safe and secure and in good health.

Ok, so…we have the aches and pains of aging. Big deal. So does everyone else. You don’t get to this age without something and if you have managed to…then good on you! You get to count TWICE as many blessings in your Gratitude Journal. There is so much sadness and pain in the world and I personally know some who are really struggling now. I am grateful they have God to lean on and to carry them through the trials they are facing.

I had my semiannual Zoom meeting to monitor my brother’s care yesterday. He has grown a “covid beard” in the last year, but unfortunately he cannot trim it himself and the barber couldn’t either because it would necessitate taking off his mask. He’s beginning to resemble the guys from Duck Dynasty, and I could tell he was self conscious about it. We worked out a plan where a staff member who is also a hairdresser will come in and trim his beard for him. I know he’ll feel so much better afterwards. He’s very excited about the day program reopening next week and he’ll get to go participate in some activity once a week.

My greatest point of gratitude is that he has had both of his shots so he is safer now. And, since we have had ours, come hell or high water, we are going to Colorado this year to help him celebrate that very special 70th Birthday in style!

Embrace every single part of your day with an attitude of gratitude and I guarantee…your heart will soon be lighter…more full and free!

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“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Colossians 3:17 ESV