when the flu comes to visit...

as i am re reading Ann Voskamp' s

book

One Thousand Gifts

i am

in a heightened state of awareness

around gratitude.

so last night when owen arrived

home from work

very sick

and when i arose from

not a wink of sleep

feeling a little under the weather

i was

careful to look for the good.

owen has a job where he can

stay home if necessary and not be made to feel guilty

we have a big stack of afghans to cuddle under

there are people in our lives willing to bring us whatever we might need

(we don't need anything, which is also a blessing)

as i

have felt less and less well

as the hours are passing by

here is what i am grateful for

thaddeus and his willingness to play with the little ones

carter's amazing interventionsist who feel so at home here

and are so helpful

(my kitchen just became super clean while i read stories)

tea

it is hard practice

always looking for ways to be thankful

and it is

a practice that in my own life

brings abundance

the more grateful i am

the more i see to be grateful for

and the smaller those big problems become

the little problems almost dissapear entirely.

this does not mean that

i am a pro at this.

obviously i am not

but

that's why it's called a practice.

a habit.

a daily intention.

and the little gratitude book

becomes thick with entries

and the blog gratitude lists

keep on coming

and i

count my blessings

one by one

and

before we know it

the flu will be gone.