Precisely Why

The annoyance and hassle and frustration associated with Jason’s car accident this weekend is precisely why I am doing my Project 365 centered on the theme of gratitude.

Being grateful is the great adversity neutralizer – it’s as simple as that.  Gratitude softens the blows of life’s challenges and helps me remember that it’s not as bad or as hard as I originally thought.  No, our situation hasn’t magically changed over the last two days.  Our van is not in our garage, safe and sound and ready for Jason to use to drop off the IRS envelope to the Post Office, stop by the bank or swing by Wal-Mart for some formula.  But remembering to snap my photo of gratitude each day shifts my thinking and helps me to move forward instead of choosing the oh-so-easy route of wallowing in self-pity.

Here are some photos from last week of my Project 365 of Gratitude:

Coleman got his first round of vaccinations and did super - but I'm grateful for a little help in soothing his soreness.

I had a really special experience delivering each of these little boxes with a pebble magnet gift inside for my neighbors' birthdays last week. I'll have my friend Susan show us how she made the boxes sometime.

I'm grateful I decided to plant my tulips and daffodils on my side of the rocks instead of the street side so that I get to enjoy my ritual of looking out my office window to see their progress first thing each morning.

I'm grateful I finished a surprise deadline so quickly because I had to squeeze it in between two big ones (and yes, I blurred it on purpose!)

It was Jason's dad's birthday - I'm grateful I have such a wonderful father-in-law, mentor and Grandpa to Cole. Aand look how perfectly they match each other's outfits! Do you think they called each other to plan it?

Another week of gratitude.  Thank you for sharing it with me.  Big, small and everything in between – what have you been grateful for these days?