By KAREN A. LECH
Gratitude…. an Attitude by Karen A. Lech
It is a fresh, new day, a brand-spankin’ new morning, a blankpage on which to write another chapter, or even paragraph of mylife. The kids are off to school, the house is quiet. Thismorning I sit inside in my favorite rocking chair. I usuallylike to sit out on the deck, taking in the morning air andsounds, but it rained yesterday evening and a bit through thenight, so the benches and patio furniture are too wet. It isalso much cooler out, and the skies look like they may not bedone releasing their moisture. I sip my morning coffee, steaminghot, with just the right amount of powdered creamer and a dollopof heavy cream, just the way I like it, and of course in a chinacup with a saucer. My hands play with luxurious yarn, soft asbutter and butter-colored too. I feel the stitches of the afghanI am crocheting and while I do these things, as I do nearlyevery morning, I pray and think. For some reason, today, thisvery morning, while my mind drifts along many paths of thought,I look at the colors and texture of this afghan/throw, call itwhat you will, and I am struck as if by lightning, withgratitude.
I was thinking about my job, praying to work different hours,(not work at all?) and have things easier in life. More time todevote to my children, the strength I need to take care of myhousehold, wishing for the money I am needing so desperatelyright now. Talking to God, half-musing, I asked the question,what am I doing wrong? Am I just lazy to want these things? BAM!I looked at the bright colors of interwoven yarn stitches andfelt the softness, and said, “Thank you, God, for letting me dothese things, for letting me play with yarn, and for my talents.then… bubbling out of me/my thoughts a listing of all I have tobe grateful for. I started and could not stop for the list wouldbe endless…
Thank you, God, for my sight, my hearing, my hands. Thank you,God for the house I live in Thank you, God for my job. Whatwould I do if I did not have it? Thank you for letting me PLAYwith all the delightful things of this earth! Cooking,gardening, knitting, crocheting, thank you for my children thankyou for each breath of life you have given me! thank you forevery hand I have ever held for every kiss I have ever receivedfor every orgasm for every time of romance for every smile formy animals for this coffee I drink. for every morsel of food Ihave tasted for sights and beauty of this world, for vacations,for the places I have seen. for friends for every penny I havereceived for all the money I have spent ( and mis spent) Forevery cigarette I have smoked, even though I know it is not goodto do so For every sip of fine wine for every time I smelled mychildren’s hair freshly washed for every dawning for storms andwinds for oceans and the mighty sea creatures for the night andthe velvet blue sky studded with stars and the moon glow for thescent of rain for the scents of human skin for cameras andphotographs that tell stories and hold memories for the delightof being able to see for every note of music I have heard forevery grain of sand on the beaches, and how wet sand feels onthe bottom of my feet when they are hot the sense of feeling,touching the soft blankets that cover me for the beauty andfreshness of a new born baby for the smiles of my aunt who is sosickly for my parents and relatives, brother and sister, andtheir families Friends near and far, and their hearts I cantouch, and how they touch mine. for emotions for every time Iwas held as a baby, for my daddy telling me stories and lovingme, for my mother’s cooking and rocking me to sleep as a babyfor every slap I received for my wrong doings as a child fornail polish …. for every bird I have seen flying for every timeI have visited a zoo for riding on an elephant and being able totouch her skin and observe the tufts of hair on her back, andfeel the mighty sway of movement of her hips as she walked…thatwas really powerful, and I love elephants! For water thatsplashes in my sink and the kitchen sink with its division intotwo, for my twins got baths in there and how much easier it wasto prop their two little bodies, one on each side of the sinkand keep bath time somewhat “contained” and not have to bendover a big bathtub as my back was so sore. …and each thoughtleads to more, more to be grateful for, for each item I thoughtof lead on to memories and expanding on why I was thankful, howthis felt, how that looked, and the wealth of all theseblessings is overwhelming and endless.
I thought of the victims of the hurricane Katrina, and otherdisasters, and think, what do they have to be grateful for at atime like this? But if they stop and think, amidst the woes ofthis very, very hard time in their lives, it will somehow helpimmensely to stop and think of all that has come before thatthey have received. It is hard to be encouraged when the stormsof life press close around and one feels as if there is no hopefor the future. Re building is awfully hard when your mind canbarely cope with the idea of just putting one foot in front ofthe other to walk down life’s path, much less lifting a brick.
So, may it help those who suffer, not only the multitude ofAmericans thrashed about by the wrath of a hurricane namedKatrina, but those who are in nursing homes, those who are atthis moment breathing their last, eaten by the ravaging monsterof cancer, hearts devastated by loss of any kind, to know thathelping hands are there, and they are loved and prayed for. Andas they have received so much in their lives in the past, Godhas an abundance, an overflowing bank account of love, and giftsHe gives. We just have to remember them, and look forward to ournext breath, our next smile, our never ending gifts in life.
Karen A. Lech copyright 2005
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