8 Things I Am Grateful For

Every day I make an effort to be consciously thankful.

It's easy to fall into an unconcious habit of complaining. This can lead to pessimism and forgetting that there is a lot of good in this world, so I frequently count my blessings.

Just a few minutes a day puts a smile on my face and keeps things in perspective.

I've shared a few with you here, feel free to reciprocate and remember to spend a few seconds on the poll at the end.

No matter how much sugary stuff I scoff.

No matter how much sleep deprivation I subject it to, no matter how many times I promise to exercise 'tomorrow' and no matter how much I whinge about my wobbly bits.

From thinking up ideas for articles to new ways of teaching the same old thing, to planning ahead minute by minute, week by week, or year by year.

My mind could easily waste away from boredom on the days I ask it to do very little (usually when there's something good on the television), but thankfully it never moans about being underused, it just does what I ask.

The lush greenery outside my window looks even more abundant in the glow of the late afternoon sunlight.

Squirrels dart across the grass avoiding the yawning cats who are borrowing my garden in an attempt to feast on some of the many birds who nest here.

I enjoy my home very much, despire a feeling that I won't be living here for long. It provides me with a place to rest, to receive friends and family, to cook meals and to lay my head at night.

Today I have a choice of wearing any of several different black skirts and any of several different coloured tops.

I could also choose sandals or closed shoes, heels or flats and, when it starts to rain I have three different types of umbrellas ready for me in my hall closet.

When I was growing up we had one black skirt and one coloured top each. We also had two pairs of shoes each (one for school and one for church) and one umbrella between several of us.

We weren't poor, just thrifty. Now I can be less thrifty without falling into the danger of extravangance. It's a great feeling and I love it.

I recently counted how many airport runs I've done over the last few years and was pleased to note that it was quite a few. This means that I have friends abroad who think about me when my friends here are asleep!

Of course I think about them too and it's always wonderful to get a text or an email from someone who is in a different time zone.

When they visit I get to see how my city looks through the eyes of a New Yorker or a Canadian or a Jamaican and their compliments make me appreciate it even more.

I also get to hear about their countries first-hand which is almost as good as being there and if I ever do pass through, a friend awaits me, guaranteed.

I've found so many great old tunes that I thought I'd never hear again.

I've watched television series that haven't been aired since the 80's and I've found beautiful music to meditate to without having to hunt down CDs and add even more clutter to my life.

I've watched dieting tips and advice from a real person and watched them shrink their way to success. Just last week a lady thousands of miles away who looks just like me, demonstrated fantastic hair tips for hair that's just like mine.

You Tube. How ever did I manage without it?

Unlike most children I really enjoyed learning to play the piano. My piano teacher inspired her pupils to achieve their best by grading each week's efforts.

A 'Good' grade from her was equivalent to an 'Excellent' from somebody else.

Now that I'm all grown, give me any sheet music from the Beatles to Beethoven and all genres inbetween and I can apply seat of the pants to the seat of the chair and plink-plonk away for hours.

The winter before last was the worst UK winter for thirty years with the emphasis on the word 'worst.' Some days we were colder than Canada and if you've been to Canada in the winter you'll know that's saying something.

Freezing temperatures turned snow to ice and then it snowed some more on top of the ice. The temperatures dropped again turning the new snow to more ice and then guess what? Yup, it snowed again, giving us layers of snow and ice, and did I mention the bitter, freezing cold?

It was inconceivable to think of going out in less than between 15 pieces of clothing.

This summer didn't start off too promisingly but lately, the sun is out with a vengence!

Everyone is smiling and in a laid back mood. I can walk along the road confidently (unlike in the winter when I just slid everywhere) and when driving I can even roll my car windows all the way down without fear of frostbite.

I only need two or three pieces of clothing while mittens, woolly hats and ear muffs are a distant memory.Evenings are pleasantly warm and a refresing glass of cool ice water doesn't cause brain freeze.

I could have included so many things in this list; travel, children (well behaved, preferably), technology, writing, playing table tennis, birthdays (mine and other's), fresh fruit, sunsets, sunrises, the inspiration of great athletes, flowers, perfume, chocolate, the ability to learn, the will to improve, the ability to help others, great literature, comedy, heros..... but where would I have stopped?

I'm grateful to you too for taking the time to read this article when you could have been doing something else, but don't stop here, take the poll and then checkout one of these great books while you're thinking up your own gratitude list.