Finding it hard to be grateful just sitting around in your home? If offering gratitude for having a roof over your head doesn’t move you then get out of the house and take in the world around you!
I had a rare day off this past Sunday, so I loaded the pups into the car and made the short drive to one of the many area parks near me. The joys of living in San Diego – there is so much to do that takes no money! Mast Park has a dog park, but we skipped that this time and took the Mast West Trail for a 2 mile walk. I was grateful for the park, for the beautiful day, for having a car to get me there and for the ability to walk the trail! I spent a year not being able to walk more than a couple of steps without major pain, after an unfortunate car accident. Hiking this trail was an absolute delight compared to that time in my life.
Bennett and Indie had a blast too – add to my list being grateful for two such wonderful dogs! They make me smile when I am down, get me out of the house and moving when I’m too “blah” to really do anything and snuggle up to me when I am sick. They are spreading the joy too, as they are both working on their certifications to be full-fledged Therapy Dogs.
Is something getting in the way of your taking a walk down the street to enjoy the sights? Then go as far as your front porch step and take a look around. My roommate (yes, I’m grateful to her too! She gave me a place to stay when my finances crashed and the friendship grew from there) has a wonderfully eclectic container garden in the front “yard”. Our yard is huge, but it is cemented over so containers are the way to go. I love that everything blooms at different times of the year, and that she lets me contribute to the gathering of beautiful plants.
I brought these Narcissus blooms into the yard last year. I love the bold colors and the fragrance is just heavenly! These are located between the front gate and the front door and are a friendly greeting when I arrive home. The theme of bright colors is repeated throughout the yard with differing varieties of Geranium plants. Later in the summer the colors will be softer, but just as varied with the assorted Plumeria that have been planted over the years. In the back of the house there is a large fence that is absolutely COVERED in pink Jasmine blooms – talk about fragrant! The delicious smell wafts to the front yard with every breeze. And now that the nights aren’t as cool I have the windows to my bedroom open and the whole room smells of Jasmine blossoms.
Yesterday I took my usual mile walk and in the final stretch coming home, I saw someone had written on the sidewalk “Enjoy!”. It looks like I’m not the only one looking for ways to spread my gratitude. It brought a smile to my face and I hope others had the same reaction when they read sidewalk art.
Gratitude seems to be a theme popping up for me at the moment. Last night I went to a women’s networking dinner meeting, and the speaker for the night has a blog called The Gratitude Gardener. While her talk was more about marketing your business and showing your appreciation (aka gratitude!) to clients – the information and stats were great – I found myself drawn to her blog. Take a look for yourself and see if it doesn’t inspire you as well.
If you would, take a moment and let us all know in the comment section: what are YOU grateful for today? Thank you for reading!