When You've Got a Little Attitude

For Christmas in 1996 - 20 years ago - mom gave me this wall hanging for Christmas.  Every day for the last 20 years this has hung somewhere in my house... usually my bedroom, but sometimes somewhere else.

She probably knew I had a massive attitude (j/k mom) and needed a daily reminder about how to combat this massive attitude of mine.  ;)

For years I have kept a (near) daily gratitude journal.  Something I picked up from my mom.  It has changed my life.  Every day I write down a list of 5 things I'm grateful for.  When I can't seem to find anything I'm grateful for - or am having a pity party for myself - I list things until I start to feel grateful.  And when I feel grateful, when I recognize the amazing blessings I have, my attitude goes away.

  Over the years, as I reflected on my journal, I noticed just how much my mom appears in these entries.  Over and over again, she shows up, consistently helping me and guiding me.  Here are a few from over the past several years.  In 2014, she even showed up twice on the same list!!

Being grateful for the little things... cookies, humidifiers, choir practice, desires for change, people in my life, even the fish in my life has done amazing things for me.  It helps me to stay grounded. It helps me


Another great thing that has helped me in moments of difficulty as sending thank you cards.  Here is a picture of some of the favorites I have ready to send at any moment.  I love thank you cards.  I love receiving them and I love sending them.  I love looking for reasons to send them  I love acknowledging what people have done for me and the amazing ways they contribute to my life.

My mom is one of those amazing people that has contributed to my life.  I don't know how to find the words to express my gratitude for the way she has shaped me, helped me and supported me.  I don't think there are any words.  I just try to live my life by the lessons she has taught me.  So when I've got a little attitude - I try a little gratitude!  And so far - it has worked every time.

We had a great holiday season with mom.  It was definitely a season of extremes.  Some amazing, beautiful moments that will forever light my life, and some difficult, painful moments for both mom and those of us watching.  Life is like that, isn't it?  Amazing, beautiful, difficult, and painful all at the same time.  Sometimes, I think we have a hard time holding both of those seemingly contradicting feelings at the same time.  Holding them together and accepting them as part of journey.  We sometimes believe it has to be one or the other.  Something or someone is either all great or all terrible.  We either love or hate it.  That simply isn't true.  Grief has taught me that lesson and I will be forever grateful for it.  Events and people are BOTH good and bad, beautiful and difficult, amazing and painful ALL AT THE SAME TIME.  I can enjoy the good, beautiful and amazing and work through the bad, difficult and painful, and not let one distract from or cast shadow on the other.

Just like having an attitude and gratitude all at the same time.