Kind promise: I will appreciate blessings.
When I ask myself, “what do I want to learn about gratitude?” the answer is immediate: “I want to dwell there.”
Now and then, I touch that space. The heavens arch high above me. My heart opens wide. I feel like my glow may be seen from space. I am awash in blessings.
This is not, I rush to say, only when things are going well. Even when my feet feel like they are encased in two ton blocks of ice, even when my to do list is panic-inducing, even when I wonder what I was thinking when I married the man, these moments of gratitude grace occur.
Too often, I rush to go on with my life. The next task calls and I am off and away. Herein, I invite myself to slow down. Herein, I invite myself to expand. Imagine the heavens arching higher. Stretch my heart open farther. Crank the glow so it can be seen by creatures on a planet orbiting the farthest visible star. And then, release.
Each night, the PCA and I do range of motion exercises. For instance, as I lie on my back, she lifts my leg straight up until she feels the muscles stretching. We count to 10 slowly and then lower the leg. This keeps my paralyzed limb limber, which means I feel less pain.
Herein I invite myself to do range of gratitude exercises each day, appreciating blessings more often, savoring and celebrating them.