Gertie, Health, Ice

Living gratefully today, I appreciate the blue skies, sunshine, and expanding daylight in recent weeks. I give thanks for treasured family time over the weekend.

It’s time to head deeper into the alphabet on my A-Z journey of gratefulness and perspective.

G is for Gertie and the generosity of Great Spirit. Gertie is my mom. She turns 92 in a couple of weeks and we are having a little celebration at the nursing home where she has lived for over five years. I was on Amazon ordering some plates and napkins for this gathering, and when I went to check out, we had amassed $24.92 in rewards points from our credit card. The $.92 brought a smile—for Mom’s pending 92nd birthday. The rewards took care of the total bill, with a little left over.

I was reminded of the generosity of Great Spirit that shows itself in little coincidences like the one above and in significant ways like taking in the pinks and oranges of a beautiful sunset yesterday afternoon across snowswept fields as I rode with my family on a short drive.

H is for Higher Power, and happiness, and overall health. I use terms like Great Spirit and Higher Power to describe a power greater than myself, or as we say in recovery circles, a God of my understanding. There is a vastness and also peace in this source and force, and I try to tap into it daily. Grateful living reminds me daily as well that happiness is not dependent on what I have, but more who I have in my life, and that I am one of those key people.

Overall health is only possible when my wellness habits include practices in all four of these areas: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. Practices like running, writing, and meditating have crossover benefits that make them some of my consistent healthy habits.

Then there’s ice and igloos. Icicles hanging from rooflines more this year because of the way winter has played out. Ice on our driveway, the trails and roads or our neighborhood, reminding me to slow down and watch my step. This slowing down helps me watch my thoughts too.

The igloo I am referring to is of the manmade variety. My family and I enjoyed being in one at a local restaurant this weekend. It’s a unique dining experience and we all appreciated it, the good food, and our time together.

And this concludes my rather random ramblings on gratefulness as I meander through the alphabet.

Take a moment or two to do some meandering of your own today. Have a good day!