Gratitude

I know that Thanksgiving isn't for another week, but my little heart is just overflowing. I woke up this morning blue. A gray day, a little bit of sadness, a lot to do, and some frustration over school-- I just wasn't sure how I was going to make it through the day. But rather than stay in bed, I headed off to school, because I had to go to the gym (my triathlon is this Friday and I can't miss a day of swimming). I'm so grateful for my ipod, because this morning I turned on a talk by one Brent L. Top called "Look up, reach out, hold on"-- a little spiritual pick me up. He gave a beautiful talk on the Savior and gratitude, and a little voice whispered to me, hey, that's what you need to get a little bit closer to God today.

so all day I've done a little experiment-- when I start having a sad or negative thought, I've supplanted it with "I am grateful for..." and just listed things. a hat, warm subway cars, my ipod, people singing in the subway, crunchy dry leaves, friends who say nice things over gchat, words of wisdom, disarmament, NYTimes online, cell phone, family, the Atonement, that I can go to school, learning things I didn't know, fingers that can feel the pull of water, eyes that work pretty well, pants, cute mexican man with an accordian, my spearmint lotion I keep at the gym, wood floors, a capstone team that works well together, communication, memories of touch, lights that aren't too bright...

It's a random assortment of things, and I actually made a list on an index card. Silly perhaps, but it was just what I needed today, to feel a little grateful, to start noticing the great things around me again. I've forgotten some of my wonder at the city as winter comes and the semester gets so busy. I'm feeling more connected, a little bit closer to important things. I think this was a blessing, because I just found out that my roommates father died. She has a brother who lives really close by, which is wonderful because they can spend this sad time together. My heart goes out to them, but it is amazing to hear how positive and at peace they are right now. Gratitude for family, gratitude for friends, gratitude for life, each of these special days we have.