Challenge of a Day

For today's Gratitude Challenge I am supposed to use the alphabet to list my items of gratitude. That was a little much for me tonight after a day of work that has wrung me dry. So I decided to use just the letters from Gratitude to make a list. Here they are:

G = Grateful of course is the key word. But what does the word really mean? I have felt gratitude so strongly that it moved me to tears. But on the other hand, being a Southerner, I have said "thank you" more than any other word in the dictionary over the course of my life. What I am truly grateful for is my family and friends. My husband, who is my life mate. My daughter, who has taught me the true meaning of unconditional love. My grandmother, who took me in to her house and her loving embrace and taught me the ways of a genteel world. And my very best friend, Robyn, who has taught me more about life and acceptance than any other situation or being. For these people and their teachings, I am grateful

R = Right now. I am thankful for right now and wish to live more in the right now. I regret deeply that one of my daughters first sentences was "just a minute". I was always saying that I would do what she wanted, look at what she wanted, in just a minute. Now that she is older, she says it to me. It is due justice for having put her off so frequently. I want to live more for this moment. It is a difficult thing to do in these days. But if only.

A = Attitude. I acknowledge and am grateful for the power of changing my attitude. I can chose how I react to things. I can decide if my attitude will be positive or negative. And the attitude of others can effect me if I chose to let them.

T = Time. I am grateful to have the time in my day that I have. Time is so precious. It is an older person's realization. Until you are older, you have no idea that time is the most precious of gifts. Just as one feels thankful for a great present, I feel not only thankful but responsible to use the gift wisely.

I = My I represents myself. "I". I have lived with I for 45 years. There have been many times, years even, that I was not happy with I. Egotistical as it may seem, I like me. I've learned to listen to myself. I've learned to accept my lack of compliance with the norm. I've learned what is important to me.

T = Technology. I wasn't sure I wanted to list this but it kept coming back to me. Though used inappropriately it can be a non-blessing. Technology has allowed me to stay in touch more. It has simplified my life. It just has to be monitored and respected.

U = Unprecedented. I find we are in unprecedented times. Economically. Morally. Technologically. I am grateful for being in these times. The good and the bad. The recent economic problems have amazed us. Fortunately, I had already gone through my own economic disaster. So, unlikely as it may seem, I was well prepared for these times and learned unbelievable lessons from my experience. I am thankful for times that shake us up.

D = Dogma. I am thankful for learning the Buddhist dogma and the precepts of the Buddhist belief. The dogma gives us a nice road map and some structure to life but doesn't give us the the guilt of a formative religion.

E = Energy. I wish for energy and am so thankful when I have an energetic day. I know that there are many things I could do to increase my energy, yet don't do it. That is part of my battle with myself. And one that I would be thankful to win.

After a challenging day such as this, it has been rewarding to think on the things I am thankful for instead of all the things that happened today. I think this challenge may be doing me some good.