With that, I would like to share some of the things that make me feel so grateful to God and just so blessed. It goes without saying that I am grateful for my wonderful husband to whom I will be married 25 years in June. I am so grateful for my now 20 year old twins. They are such good people. They are smart, funny, and so caring. They have such pure and decent hearts. They make me so proud to be their mother.
Our family received a wonderful gift on February 2nd, when my niece had an emergency C Section. Madelyn Joy (pictured above), my great niece, was born at 27 weeks. My heart is so grateful for her arrival. Some of you may have read my previous post about the her twin brother, Dylan Charles, who was lost at 18 weeks. Our Maddie beat so many odds to be here. Although she is still in the NICU, and probably will be for a couple more months, she is growing and thriving. She is so beautiful and my family, especially Maddie's parents, are so very grateful to the Lord for saving her. None of us will ever take her for granted!
I am grateful for what God has enabled me to do for a living. I always knew, even when I was a young child, that I wanted to help people. As I grew and as I approached the college years, I knew that, whatever I ended up doing for a living, I did not just want to punch a time clock. I wanted to help people and make a positive impact on the world. I did not know exactly what that would be, but I knew I would end up in a helping profession. Well, apparently, that desire aligned with God's will for my life, because He has enabled me to help people on a daily basis. Just yesterday, one of my patients told a few of my coworkers that I was his "angel", because I have been helping him with various issues. I couldn't help but feel so blessed that I actually get paid to be someone's angel!
I am also so grateful to have my therapy practice, because I have had the pleasure to work with some of the most wonderful and interesting people. I consider it an honor that so many people have chosen to trust me enough to be able to share their inner most thoughts and secrets. I am humbled by the fact that they feel safe enough with me to allow me to be a container for their pain. It is so wonderful to be able to guide people on their introspective journeys and help them to develop the skills they need to navigate the tough terrain of life. Some stay for a short time and some have come to me for years, but they all have touched my heart in a permanent way and my life has been enriched for having known them, for however long that was or how long it lasts.
I could go on and on and on about the things for which I am grateful, but I will just end with a few parting words to ponder. Life is difficult at times. There will be trials and there will be tribulations, but even in the midst of those things, we can always find things for which we can be grateful. Part of improving our moods entails the task of replacing negative thoughts with more positive ones. Today I am throwing down this challenge. Every time you find yourself lamenting about past woes or worrying about future events, stop and shift your mind to the things in your life for which you are grateful. There are blessings, big and small, in every day, so make it a point to look for them. Do not fall into the negativity trap! Fight that with the power of gratitude! You will be amazed at just how powerful gratitude truly is! By the way, I am so grateful to all of you who are reading this right now. May God abundantly bless you!
