Thankful

"Theodora, Thankful" - mixed media on reclaimed wood, 6" x 18".  Ready to hang.  Click here to purchase this piece on Artfinder.

Yesterday, my attitude of gratitude appeared - just in time for Thanksgiving.  

Now I am naturally pretty grateful most of the time, but there have been goo-gobs of challenges in recent days which left me on the down end of the teeter-totter and wondering if I would feel like counting my blessings by turkey day.  In the true humorous and quirky style of the universe,  the very things which frustrated me have led me to feel grateful.  What the heck?

Yes, indeed.  For example, a recent snafu with a supplier of mine, which had caused an incredible amount of stress, missed deadlines, worry and a bit of pissed-offedness (is that a word?) and basically caused me to throw up my hands and say I SURRENDER, turned completely around when they not only fixed the problem, but went above and beyond to make it right, apologize and, in the end, made me feel very thankful to have kept them on instead of cutting ties.  Hmmmm....frustration + surrender = gratitude.

A few mechanical failures at home and a sloppy roof cleaner caused a number of our favorite plants to be stressed and half dead.  A saddened me mourned the certain loss of formerly verdant friends who gave me such joy in viewing them.  Again, I threw up my hands.  I  marched out with the garden hose, hand watering day by day, dragging the hose like a ball and chain.  Will the plants live?  I have no idea.  But I began to enjoy the daily ritual of hand watering in the early morning breeze so much that it became another source of gratitude.  What?  Same math, same result.

Now I am not the fastest learner on the planet. There is a pile of 2 by 4's which have bonked me in the head which is  proof of this point.  But I think I am starting to get this lesson.  Each "calamity" has turned into a wellspring of wonder and even joy. So I will be the one yelling "I SURRENDER" as soon as the first inkling of frustration appears.  I will then sit myself down and wait like a six-year-old on Christmas Eve for the certain gifts which will appear shortly thereafter, goofy grin on my face and a look of excitement in my eyes.

If you want to join me, I am willing to share this plate of burnt cookies and half gallon of spoiled coconut milk with you. :)