gratitude

"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful."

--Buddha

I could have done without Mother's Day this year. I didn't go to church because I didn't feel like sitting through the sermon hearing how wonderful and amazing mothers are and how we should all be thankful for mothers. I am thankful. VERY thankful for my mom, my sister, my mother in-law, my grandma. Very much. But I just didn't think I would be able to sit through the celebration of motherhood that I knew the message would be. So we went to brunch with my mom, sister, her hubby and their boys. It was fine. Then we went to visit with my mamaw and papaw, who I haven't seen in a few months. It was wonderful. And then we had MIL & FIL over for dinner. J cooked and it was delicious. And it was fine.

But I was just depressed all day and especially the night before (which is why I gobbled down 12 no-bake cookies in the matter of one night and one morning...oops!). This year, I vowed NOT to say the whole "Next Mother's Day will be different..." bit. After all, I'd said that for the past 2 years and gotten no luck. I don't want to keep foolish hope for something that may not happen.

BUT there were some nice surprises on Mother's Day. Like waking up to a card from my dogs that had a subscription to O at Home and O Magazine. Those sweet, thoughtful pups! Then my sister got me an Un-Mother's-Mother's Day gift. It was a gratitude journal which came at an amazing time. I needed to pull myself out of that slump and remember what I should be grateful for. I have a lot of amazing things in my life to be thankful for and she put 5 sweet reasons that she was grateful to have me as a sister. I have really enjoyed filling it out every night. It centers me each night before going to bed and it reminds me to be thankful for the little things. I love the quote above by Buddha. It's humbling. Just one way to count my blessings and focus on the good, and the NOW, as opposed to what's missing.