Today I’m proud that I’ve chosen to be more thankful.
A couple of years ago I was part of a women’s study group through a local church. We decided to read a book called One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp and work together to adopt “Eucharisteo,” a sense of joy, grace and thanksgiving in our everyday lives.
The book changed my life. I highly recommend it, especially if you subscribe to the Christian philosophy (Voskamp is a Christian writer and shares her experience through that lens).
I adore Ann Voskamp’s writing. It’s honestly not for everyone, but I enjoyed the book because Voskamp is a poet at heart and I love poetry. I distinctly remember a few paragraphs in the book where she described grating mozzarella cheese to make homemade pizza for her family. Grating cheese onto homemade dough never sounded so beautiful and serene. She made grating cheese sound like the most amazing, life-giving, and fulfilling activity in the world.
While grating cheese bores the hell out of me (maybe I’m not far enough on my spiritual or poetic journey as Ann is to appreciate it that much), the concepts Ann conveyed in the book really changed me. She taught me to appreciate the SIMPLEST things in life. Ordinary, everyday things.
Because that is the STUFF of life. Those little moments are the things we often look back on and remember with fondness.
Expressing thanks each day has made me a much happier person. There are days where I don’t appreciate things as much and don’t express thanks. Those days tend to be harder to get through.
So each day, usually at the end of the day, I try to express thanks for things large and small.
In One Thousand Gifts, Voskamp encourages readers to start making a list of their own One Thousand Gifts. Here are a few things from the beginning of my list I started two years ago:
1. Warmth of a jacket, gloves, and scarf in the winter.
2. Putting on my bathrobe in the morning.
3. The smell and taste of morning coffee and the comfort it brings.
4. Morning hugs.
5. My husband Greg telling me to have a good day and to drive safe.
6. Warm showers and the way they wake you up and refresh you.
7. Warm baths bringing relaxation and time of reflection.
8. Clean water to drink and bathe in.
9. Enough clothing.
10. Light at my command.
11. Warm oatmeal.
12. Reliable transportation to work.
13. Love notes from Greg.
14. All of my silly coffee mugs, especially the one with the cow my Mum gave me.
15. Lungs laboring breath.
16. Beautiful smiles painted by the joy of the Lord.
17. The wisdom shared in my church group.
18. Powdery snow on tree branches.
19. Pay day!
20. Falling snow.
21. My warm K-State mittens.
22. Hot chocolate.
23. The hope of Spring, closer every day.
24. God’s grace, extended to even the worst of people.
25. Working toilets (I wrote this after BOTH of our toilets in our last apartment weren’t working. Man… it is a true blessing to have a working toilet!)
26. When Greg waxes artistic.
27. My friend Robbie J’s sense of humor. He taught me how to be funny.
28. My Dad’s optimism and friendliness.
29. My Mum’s strength and kindness.
30. My brother Sean’s humor and recovery. He is a miracle.
31. My brother Paul’s wonderful culinary creations and his quiet kindness.
32. My sister-in-law Diana’s positivity and hospitality.
33. My sweet nephew Connor.
34. My friend Lisa Wright’s caring spirit.
35. Everyone in Greg’s family accepting me into their family and loving me as their own.
36. Doctors and therapists who care.
37. Greg being the water to my earth.
38. Singing in the car.
39. Access to education.
40. Dunks.
41. Kansas sunsets.
42. Time alone for reflection.
43. The Cross. Forgiveness.
44. Greg’s smile- pure, cheerful, loving, and unforced.
45. Greg telling me that my hair smells like sunshine after our walk today.
46. Parks.
47. Friends both near and far.
48. Healthy food.
49. Thunder snow! (Yep, it’s a thing).
50. My life as it is.
I’ve added more to the list since then, and hope to continue to add to the list of things I’m thankful for.
I feel very blessed. For all things, large and small.