This Lent I have been keeping a gratitude journal. Basically, every day I write down three things that I am grateful for. It is incredible how many things in life there are to be happy about. But I think that it's also something that we have to notice. If you think every day, or even just once in a while, about all the things that are good in your life, there seems to be more and more each day. Also, you go through each day looking out for things that are special, that make you feel good, that are a blessing in your life.
These things are different for each person. It could be a baby sleeping through the night, a husband coming home earlier than expected, someone else cooking dinner, a sunset you managed to see because you were stuck in traffic and had the time to look, a candle-lit dinner you had because the electricity was switched off that became a wonderful romantic evening with a loved one. Sometimes, out of bad situations, good things come out. It's very important to see that in your life.
This past year has been full of new things for me - new country, new language, new friends, new relationships, new family members. And there have been many times when things could have gone wrong. Miraculously they have gone right, sometimes very much so. I like to think that there is a guardian angel out there, looking out for me and I am very aware that I need to say thank you regularly. To my family, to my friends, to random strangers who help me out, to my guardian angel and to God. One thing this past year has taught me is to be grateful: to be aware of the good things in my life and to say thank you for them.
I hope that when you count your blessings, you are surprised by how many there are. God bless you!
