A heart of gratitude

Hello? Does anyone read this gratitude blog? Did anyone notice that on Friday I skipped my "weekly gratitude photo" post?

I also didn't post it on Saturday. Or Sunday.

Because I've decided not to do it anymore.

I feel like gratitude should be something you feel naturally and not something your force yourself to do. And that is exactly what it had turned into for me with the "take a picture every day of something you're grateful for" thing. It was becoming a chore and gratitude should never be a chore.

Today is February 8th.  In fifty four days I will be twenty eight. In sixty five days I will celebrate 365 days of being alive. Of survival.

When I started this gratitude journey on January 1, 2009 I never could have predicted how much it would mean to me. Or how much it woould force me to see the joy in my life. Every day. Even when I was in the ICU waking up from a medically induced coma. Even when I had to get all my nutrition from a straw. Even when I was dependent on so many other people just go get through the motions of every day.

Each night I would come here and find something to be grateful for.

Sometimes it was just the simple fact that I loved chocolate so much. And that was a good thing because I drank a LOT of chocolate milkshakes.

It has almost been 10 months since my accident and if I have learned nothing else in that time I have learned how to truly be grateful.

Often all I need on any given day to be happy is the knowledge that I am alive. Each breath is a gift. And I cherish them all.

Life is not perfect by any means, but it's the difficult times that make the good things so much sweeter.

And with that I think it's time to close this blog. I'm not going to delete it. Maybe someday someone will stumble on it and they will be encouraged to start their own gratitude journal. I think it's a good thing to have blogs like this floating along in cyberspace.

I'm also not going to give up on gratitude. I plan on transfering all my gratitude into my main blog. I write about my every day life on there, so it should be a seamless transition. Because every day is a blessing. That is a lesson that everyone deserves to learn.

In parting I'll offer a link to another blog.

Enjoying the Small Things

It was shared on The Nest last week and I haven't been able to get this woman and her family off my mind. I've been reading through some of her archives and a more true heart of gratitude I have neaver seen. She has such a beautiful spirit and reading about her has been a real blessing.

Thank you for traveling this road with me. It's been a real pleasure.

Take a moment to find some joy in your day.

Joanna

Project 365, week 4

Gratitude week in pictures: January 23-29

 Mmm, pecan pie

Baby chubs

My mom and grandma

"Pie weights"

Vintage class ring

Down snow boots

Comfort food at it's finest

Project 365, week 3

January 16-22

Laundry facilities in our apartment.

A requirement before I would marry Andy

Mac-n-cheese

oh so scrumptious

My flat iron

It makes me suitable for public appearance

Milton the curious bunny

Books

Oh how I love my books

Freshly baked chocolate chip cookies

A little wine with dinner never hurt anybody

Day 365!!!

Holy crap I made it!

1. My wonderful husband and his support
2. My mom & step dad
   
3. My grandmother
4. My extended family
5. My best friend
   

Day 364

1. Days spent in stretchy pants
2. Andy had a good night skiing and didn't get hurt
3. A full pantry
4. Generous people
5. 41 days 'till March
   

Day 363

1. The dollar menu
2. Making a successful pork roast. My first!
3. Funny sales people
4. MLK weekend is almost over
5. Sleeping through Andy's alarm clock this morning
   

Project 365

Project 365 is being changed to a once a week post on this blog like it is on my other blog. It's just too  much to upload and post a photo every day.

Look for a post next Friday for a week's worth of gratitude photos!

Day 362

1. My shorter hair, life is just so much simpler
2. Smaller laundry piles, I don't know how that happened, but I like it
3. Old friends and reconnecting
4. Trying new restaurants
5. I can finally see the pavement on my driveway
   

Day 361

1. For all those that have given in some way to the Hatians (time, money, thoughts, prayers. they all count)
2. My home
3. Letting off some steam
4. Vaseline lip therapy
5. More warm(ish) weather to come
   

P365, day 15

Flannel pjs

Day 360

1. My retainer (even though I hate wearing it, I can tell it helps my teeth)
2. This weekend marks half way through the ski season!
3. Breakfast in bed
4. Watching the world wake up through our bedroom window
5. I could actually see today's sunset because there weren't any clouds
   

P365, day 14

Magnum is home and back in action!

Day 359

1. Pot luck dinners
2. Having a good time and still making it home by ten thirty
3. Not being single anymore
4. No snow in the forecast (at least for five days)
5. Getting paid
   

P365, day 13

My scrapbooks and that I took the time to put them together

Day 358

1. My support system
2. Cashing in the change bowl
3. Andy is off tomorrow, so we can spend a little time together
4. We picked up the truck today
5. Wine with dinner
   

P365, day 12

For my sinus troubles

Day 357

1. Julie is finally reading all the Twilight books
2. The seventh Outlander book is waiting on me
3. Andy has something to take his mind off work (even if it means six lonely Mondays for me)
4. The truck is finally fixed. We are a one car family no more
5. Goodreads
   

P365, day 11

We are close to Andy's work and winter play place.

So when he isn't home he's not far away.

Day 356

1. Andy's ability in the kitchen
2. A full tummy
3. Finally a day without snow
4. And not a cloud in the sky
5. Book discussions
   

P365, day 10

My new favorite cookbook!

It's even pretty without the cover.

Day 355

1. Meeting new people
2. We finally made a good wine selection (by ourselves)
3. Our house guest bailed so I didn't have to "deep clean" my house
4. I finished book #3 on my list tonight (& I liked it)
5. Cheese & crackers (a simple snack that is oh, so good)
   

P365, day 9

My first ever (successful) apple pie

Day 354

1. I didn't set foot outside today
2. Monday's forecast is sunny & (kind of) warm
3. My little digital camera
4. Dinner parties
5. Having a someone to vent to
   

P365, day 8

Lifesaver

Day 353

1. New recipes
2. Andy's giant down coat (I like to wear it around the apartment if I get cold)
3. Today we saw a temp above freezing (only one degree, but who's counting?)
4. Days that Andy closes so we can sleep in and then make brunch together
5. My cell phone
   

P365, day 7

Handy little electricity saver

Day 352

1. The clearance book section (even if it did make me break part of my new year's resolution)
2. Milton never gives up. Ever.
3. Blogs. I love reading about other people
4. The peace that winter brings
5. Lunch dates
   

P365, day 6

Day 351

1. Stepping out of my box to try new things
2. I didn't hurt myself today trying to xc ski across ice
3. My sweet husband, he makes me laugh
4. I spent most the night reading
5. Working water and heat
   

P365, day 5

These two brighten my day, every day

Day 350

1. Date night (and day!)
2. Finally having my speeding ticket taken care of
3. Ice cream even though it's 5 degrees out
4. The snow we're getting is light and fluffy instead of wet
5. I got home today before the storm hit
   

P365, day 4

For keeping me clean when our water's out

Day 349

1. Restaurant gift cards
2. Getting all the Christmas decorations in one box
3. Putting the house back in order
4. Grocery shopping in a nearly empty store
5. A tourist free week ahead
   

P365, day 3

Day 348

1. Milk chocolate
2. Comfort food and Andy's willingness to eat late
3. The ability to get around safely in the bad weather
4. My mother
5. Sun at the end of the day, even if it was really, really cold still
   

P365, day 2

For his patience

Day 347

1. Film cameras
2. An empty laundry basket
3. Beginning new things and stepping out of my comfort zone
4. 2009 is over
5. Ball point pens
   

P-365, day 1

The past year has been such a challenge for me and this blog was a serious source of inspiration. It also has helped me keep things in perspective. In general I'm a high strung sort of personality and taking the time out every day to realize just how blessed I am has helped a lot. So I'm not ready to give this up.

Certain things got in my way this past year and I won't be finished with 365 Days of Grace until January 19th.

But I have started another 365 day challenge to see me through 2010 and I plan on letting it spill over into this daily gratitude blog. Go here and here for a little more information (if you don't read my other blog)

The basic idea of the new challenge is that you take one picture a day for a year. In order to tie this new challenge to my old one I'm going to continue this blog by posting a photo of something I'm grateful for every day. There won't be five things, but pictures will certainly be more interesting than a list every day. Enjoy and join in if you like.

Making breakfast with Andy

*Since I'm not quite done with Grace in Small Things there will be two daily posts for a while.