Becoming Grateful, #4

It is the simple pleasures sometimes that bring the biggest smiles. Sometimes it's a simple "hello". Or someone noticing I'm down and asking. Or sometimes it's a hug. Sometimes it's just a brief text. But yesterday, I found a few different things for which I smiled and was grateful.

  1. A pedicure. This is not a luxury in which I indulge very often. And yesterday it was a gift given to me. But it feels nice to have a short massage on my feet, when I am on them all day every day and they are tired. Getting my nails painted, though not many see them, is a simple little beauty thing that is a pampering for me. It is 20 minutes of relaxation in the chaos of life.
 2. My grandmother (in-law). She will be 90 in October. She is my husband's grandmother, but my grandparents have all passed away long ago, and I enjoy the time with her. His other grandmother is also still living, and I am blessed to have 2 of the "older" generation still alive and in my family's life. so much can be learned from them at times. It just takes listening.
 3. Rain. I did not hear the rain or see it, but when I stepped out the door, I could smell it. We are in need of it. But that need aside, I love the smell that comes with rain. And the fact that it is a reminder that sun does not come without rain....growth does not come without rain. Just as growth in my life does not come without pain.  I loved the freshness it brought to the day. And the perspective it gives me, too.
 4. Rest. Sitting still is not easy for me. But I am trying to teach myself to do it a little more. And the more I sit still, the more I come to enjoy it. The more I "hear" God in those moments. The more my body can recoup. The more I can reflect. The more I can enjoy my family. It has been a restful weekend, and I am grateful for that.

 One day at a  time, I am learning to embrace the little things. It is not always easy, because the big issues of life don't rest in the midst of that. But the more time I take to be grateful, the more those big things take a different seat in life in some ways.