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
