Nightly Gratitude

“We have clothes on our backs and shoes on our feet. We have food in our bellies, a roof over our heads, and each night we slumber in comfortable beds. Needs are met. Wants are few. I could not ask for more.”

– Leenie’s Nightly Attitude of Gratitude

I’m listening to thundering miles away, rain dancing on the roof, and rainwater pouring arrhythmically out of the downspout. I’m able to catch in my peripheral vision a few of the flashes of lightning, and the thunder follows sooner. The rain remains steady.

I love how film and literature use rain as symbolism, and normally I give myself the typical Saturday and Sunday break from work. Tonight I feel like sharing. Maybe it’s the rain. Yeah, blame it on the rain… 😉 Maybe it’s time to help others with a fresh start.

Today was no different on Facebook, and one of my friends mentioned in a comment on his own post that he was feeling “a little less hopeless”. This reminded me how my nightly gratitude helps me to remain hopeful.

At the end of every day, I give myself time to reflect on the things that made me smile, raised the vibration, or were overall positive. If a not-so-great part of the day comes to mind, then I accept the challenge of changing the way I look at it, so I can put it to rest even if only for the night. Some nights are a little tougher to dig out of the frustration or whatever other low vibrations are trying to drag me down, but I always go to sleep focusing on the things for which I am grateful.

My heart fills with gratitude when I recognize that my family’s needs are met and our wants are few. I’ve had moments of allowing myself to feel annoyed over a “meme” (I use that loosely because it’s a social media post that’s circulating but it’s not really a meme) which comes off as shaming people who are not struggling with the adjustments during this time of social distancing and stay-at-home orders. The message is comparisons of each other’s figurative boats during the novel coronavirus outbreak/pandemic.

My feeling has been that we are in one big boat, and while we’re going through this storm, water is getting in and could sink us if we don’t work together. We have so many distractions – comparing each other’s boats within the big boat, being rude or unkind to each other for our differences, looking for more things for which to criticize each other. We need to turn away from the distractions and focus on sailing instead of sinking.

The ones who are able to should do their best to help the ones who aren’t doing as well. It’s not just about giving money, goods, or time. It’s also about lifting each other’s spirits and shining a light on hope. It’s about giving each other something for which to be grateful.

So here I am… offering kindness… If I had money to share with those in need, I would. Right now, all I can share is the very basic comfort that I end with every night.

“We have clothes on our backs and shoes on our feet. We have food in our bellies, a roof over our heads, and each night we slumber in comfortable beds. Needs are met. Wants are few. I could not ask for more.”

– Leenie’s Nightly Attitude of Gratitude

I feel very grateful that my family has our basic needs met and everyone has remained healthy.

I feel hopeful that those who are weighed down with fear as they try to make ends meet will still let go of the fear enough to be guided by love and find at least one thing for which to be grateful that will tap into the flow of abundance.

And I feel hopeful that as more people arrive at sincere gratitude for what they have, they may feel more inclined to help others create their own gratitude instead of criticizing each others’ situations.

Offer less judgment and create more joy. For each other as well as for ourselves.

Finally I feel hopeful that more of us will focus on looking for the good in each other and ourselves. (That just reminded me of the Reverend reading Pollyanna’s locket inscription: “When you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will.”)

Isn’t love thy neighbor as thyself in the bible? Or is it simply love thy neighbor? [While you’re looking that up, that’s my cue to exit.] 😉

Luceat lux vestra.