January 2018 has given us a gamut of things already, hasn’t it? Zero to sixty degrees within the range of a week or two, a flu epidemic, and all kinds of flooding and wild weather. It seems as though we are into the new year with quite a bang.Â
In the midst of all that, I managed to write three chapters of my next book. (yay!) I’ve had a lingering sinus cold but I loved my usual time with Penny and my mom. I try to practice good self-care (something I’m not always great at), like getting enough rest and drinking plenty of herbal tea with Jim’s delicious honey.
Penny turned two years old this past week. I keep looking at her and thinking Where has the time gone? It seems like only yesterday I was trekking to Pittsburgh to meet her for the first time. Today she’s a bright, active, social, loving child.
Lately, I have been thanking God all day long and especially when I am in one certain place. When I get into bed at night, with my warm flannel sheets, homemade quilt, and fluffy pillows, an overwhelming feeling of gratitude comes over me. I know how blessed and fortunate I am. There are times when I think of my grandparents. They came over on the boat from Greece, in the 1920’s through Ellis Island, with the thoughts of making a better life for themselves.
Two generations later and we have that better life. My grandparents lived on very little and used the teachings and traditions that had been handed down to them. It was reflected in the food they prepared, the gardens they planted, and the hospitality in the little store that my grandparents owned. Neither of my grandparents spoke English when they came here. My own mother had to learn English to go to school. Greek was her primary language and she still speaks it fluently.
How often do we stop and think about the things we have? If we are blessed to have good jobs, food on our tables, a warm house, and money to pay our bills, that is something many do not have. If we donate to charities or volunteer for them, that is a way of showing gratitude. To be involved in something wonderful, outside of ourselves, is a precious way to give thanks.
I hope you take the time today (and every day) to be thankful.
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift. 2 Corinthians 9:15
