Grateful

Good morning. 

It is snowing a little bit here in Oregon this morning and it just makes everything feel so peaceful.  It makes me grateful for my cozy little house filled up with my family.  I consider myself a grateful person, I haven't always had the easiest go of things (like a lot of people) but I consider myself blessed.  These last couple of years have been challenging with the loss of my Grandmother who I adored and just this last August of my Jenny.  I learned so much from both of these two women and am still learning from there everyday.  Indirectly my Grandmother has taught me how to be a strong wife and support your husband, putting your relationship in front of any other and sticking it out.  She grew up in a time where if something was broke you fixed it, and my Grandparents had a long and happy marriage because of that.  

The biggest life lesson I have learned from Jenny is to be grateful.  She would tell me almost daily how important it is to be grateful for the gifts we've been given.  Sometimes those gifts can be hard to find during the darker times of lives, but she said to look because I would find them.  Jenny would always remind me to keep a gratitude journal because by recognizing how beautiful our individual lives are we can fully appreciate them.  I am grateful for that lesson because it has helped me these last few months since her passing.  I was pretty upset and mad for a while, I couldn't understand why God would give me this amazing person and then so quickly take her away.  I have learned to not be mad anymore but to be grateful for the time I had with Jenny.  She helped raise my brother and me and I have the best memories of her as a child. While I wish my girls could grow up knowing Jenny it'll be my job to keep her memory alive.  I'll make sure to pass on the knowledge she taught me.  I will make sure my girls grow up to be grateful, not just for their "things" but the people and experiences in their life. Like Jenny I'll have to show them to be grateful, not just tell them to be grateful.  It is important to try and see the good in every bad situation.  It is to easy for us as a culture to complain but if we look hard for the good and focus on that complaining becomes less and less.  

I have always been grateful for my children, always grateful for their life with me.  Something in me has changed since Friday, I can't put my finger on it but something is different.  I can tell its a permanent change but I just can't quite pinpoint what exactly the change is.  I can feel my heart is different, better, bigger.  There has been a shift for me and its a shift in the right direction for my family.  Be grateful, look for the good in the bad.  The good is there, you just have to take the time to look for it.  Appreciate the good in your life, ignore the bad things, they don't deserve your attention.  Let your heart be filled with peace and love and teach your children to feel the same.  Forgiveness is a powerful tool, I have forgave a lot in my life and because of it I know I am able to lead a better life.  One day I'll need forgiveness, we all will, so lets be sure to pass it out to the people who also need it from us.  

If you are in Oregon enjoy your snowy morning!  Write a couple things down you are grateful for today, you'll be surprised how it'll change your mood.