52 weeks of gratitude

June 26, 2016

52 weeks of gratitude

A gift to myself for my 52nd birthday...

When joy enters my life it is closely followed by fear, the fear of something negative lurking around the corner. I often recall the day I joyfully spoke to my mother in law of the happiness I felt after celebrating a wonderful holiday with my husband and two children, a time where my heart was filled with gratitude. But within weeks of sharing that happiness, the unthinkable happened, and Ryan died, forever changing my life and the anxiety that accompanies happiness.

After losing Ryan I buried myself in books, anything to grasp how this could happen while discovering the courage to go on, but before I could grieve one loss, another followed. My father, my brother, cousin, uncle, and aunt added to the list of losses, all so young. Each day grief arrived to drag me under like the waves sweeping sand from the shore until time passed and I slowly began living again.

In a journey filled with sadness, how does one find gratitude and live with a grateful heart?

While I have always tried to count my blessings, I am ready to practice gratitude daily on this journey of more. Commencing from my 52nd birthday, (my fathers last full year of life) I will launch my journey with gratitude. A daily practice to recognize the joy in the every day.

In order to master anything we must practice, therefore it is only fitting that to discover joy and gratitude we must form new daily habits. By writing down the details that fill our days, the little things that sometimes seem insignificant can be the sparks that empower our lives.

How could I appreciate the sun if there was no rain? Life is constantly evolving, what was a part of us one day is gone the next. When we recognize these gifts we learn to grow and appreciate all the little things, but only when we pay attention...

Some of the books that helped inspire this journey

I may even follow this list...