Gratitude Heals Us All

I’ve written several times about the power of gratitude. It’s funny how easy it is to overlook this very simple, yet extremely powerful practice. Why do we tend to forget gratitude? Well, sometimes we take things for granted. We assume we’ll always have a family to love us, a roof over our head, and clothes on our back. But are we guaranteed these things…really? I don’t write this to make you afraid or to feel guilty…guilt is a waste of your energy so please let it go! Just for a moment pause and think about who and what you have in your life. Maybe you have a little child that loves sitting close to you while you read them a story, you may have warm home to sleep in at night, or running water. Yes, there are still people all over the world without running water, clean water, hot water, or any kind of water. We are very blessed if we have even the simplest necessities to live.

Tragedy has a way of making us much more aware of all the blessings we already have. I recently found out from a concerned neighbor the sad situation my mother has been in. My mother stopped speaking to me almost 3 years ago. I was pregnant with my little guy who recently turned 2 years old. She has some mental health issues and at the time she felt certain I was part of some kind of conspiracy to end her life. We previously moved her to live with my brother in Rhode Island. I live overseas so moving her to the Middle East didn’t seem like the best thing to help her stabilize. My brother was certain the sea air and organic vegetables would help her heal. My mother was difficult to say the least with my brother and niece. She can be as cranky as a hornet at times. Needles to say she left my brothers home in a huff and moved to her land in Texas. This was the last I heard from her.

Her land is about 25 miles from any kind of civilization. There is nothing there, no structure or home, no connection or water hookup…nothing. So her concerned neighbor told me initially she was living out of a tent. The winds in the area are very strong, and there is not much in the way of trees to block any wind so her tent blew away. My mother managed to scrape together some money for a makeshift camper. It ended up leaking and didn’t keep any heat. Finally, she began living in her vehicle. Last New Year’s Eve she accidentally set her truck on fire while using candles to keep warm. Amazingly she escaped with her little dog Simon, she was completely unscathed. She is now living in a borrowed RV.

This news brought me right back to gratitude. I am beyond grateful she’s alive at all! The gratitude I feel for these kind neighbors is vast. Their good hearts are truly beautiful. They came together to help her and gave her an old RV to live in. Yes, it has a leaky roof and she’s completely out of propane to cook or have hot water…but she has water and a roof over her head. I felt so many things upon learning of her situation, like fear, sorrow, loss, and gratitude. I knew that sadness would not help my mom. Love, shelter, food, some mental health care, and a whole lot of gratitude for these people and the fact that she’s still alive are the only things that will help now.

Gratitude expands our hearts and world in unimaginable ways. I rediscover a gratitude chant/tapping script I created years ago and made some adaptations. I’m sharing this with you in case you forgot how blessed and loved you are. You can tap through the points of your choice or say each statement aloud.

I often forget to  be grateful

Maybe I don’t think I have time

Maybe I don’t always see the things in my life to feel grateful for

It’s not because I’m bad or unfeeling

I may be very busy

I’m choosing to slow down now

Even if it’s just for 5 minutes

I’m going to take a deep breath 

I choose to see all the things I have to be grateful for

The people I love the most

Thank you for being in my life

The sweet little baby who loves to snuggle near me

Thank you for letting me love you

Thanks for the snuggles

The simplicity of reading a book or enjoying a cup of coffee

Thank you universe, thank you God for these simple pleasures

I’m so grateful for the water that comes out of my sink

I’m so grateful for the sun shining through my windows

I’m so grateful for me, I’m alive!

I’m so grateful for this life

I’m tapping in to love and gratitude on every level

Connecting with love, peace and gratitude now

I am safe and all is well!

Thank you for coming back to gratitude. I am grateful for you! I created a money pool for my mom if you wish to donate or share the page I am in deep appreciation. 

Here is the link to Mom’s page: http://paypal.me/pools/c/8cdfSrk4Xe