30 Days of Gratitude. Day 1

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others

I was reading and article in the Reader's Digest a few days ago about a man who changed his life by learning to be grateful for everything in his life. On the first day all he could find to be grateful for were coffee and naps.... but as the month went on, something amazing happened, and he began to notice all of the wonderful things in his life that he had taken for granted before.

It has occurred to me that I am in need of some serious reflection. Life has been "hard" for us lately. Geoff has been barely surviving in school, and I have still struggled quite a bit with my health problems... but I have to change the way I look at my life. I had become so angry at Geoff's school (for some horrible mistreatment that we won't go into) that I had lost the spirit in my life. Even though I wasn't doing anything "sinful", I was unable to feel the spirit in my day to day life because I was so consumed with feelings of anger and frustration!!

So, on with my new life of gratitude and love! Thanksgiving is one month from today, so I figured it would be a great time to start. It is also a great day to start because it is my Angel Mother's birthday today. Of all of the things I feel blessed in, my mother stands right at the top of the list! I don't know how I was blessed enough to be born to such a wonderful woman, but I am eternally grateful that I was. In all of my life, I have no memory of my mom saying a sarcastic or mean thing to anyone.... much less DOING anything unkind. She has always been the epitome of kindness and unconditional love. I can remember some rather interesting people in my life that she has reached out to in service and love, when many others would never have bothered with such a person. She is completely nonjudgmental and loves people of all different personalities and cultures. My mom went back to school after her kids were mostly grown and became a nurse. I imagine that her patients always can feel her love - even the grumpy ones, for she has told me that the best way to deal with patients is to treat them how the Savior would. If she has spare time on the job (which is very rare working in the unit she does) she finds little ways to serve her patients. She rubs their feet, she talks to them and cries with them. I just can't even begin to touch the surface of her kindness. I hope to one day be half the woman she is. Thank you, Mom, for your endless service to me and to so many others!