So Grateful

This month I’ve been doing a little project with Little Man on gratitude. Every day in November, I’ve sat down with him and we’ve talked about something we’re each grateful for that day. Then we write each blessing on a leaf and hang it on our “Thankful Wreath.”It’s been such a great teaching moment for Little Man, and it’s been a timely reminder to me of how much of an impact it can make to conscientiously count your blessings. (Funny how the things I want my children to learn are often the same things I need a refresher course in.)

There is a quote I love from Buddha that says,

Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so, let us be thankful.

Some days it’s hard to see the blessings trough the trials, exhaustion, and feelings of being completely overwhelmed. But, to every negative there is an “at least”. Always. Since I found this quote several years ago, I’ve made it a goal to look for the “at leasts” in every situation. Not that I always succeed, but it has made a difference in my view of difficult situations. Here are my “at leasts” for the past week.

Little Man had to get stitches on Saturday…at least there were doctors to patch him up and he was a trooper during the process.

My kitchen floor never seems to stay clean for more than 20 minutes…at least we have food to eat that is leaving crumbs behind.

Baby Boy has developed an obsession with remote controls…at least we are blessed to have a TV.

The laundry never ends…at least I have a washing machine and don’t have to drag all the clothes to a river to wash by hand.

I am exhausted by the end of every day…at least it’s because I have two healthy, curious, energetic boys who love me enough to want me to play with them all day.

Some days being a mom is hard. Really, really hard. There are tantrums, sleepless nights, and messy diapers. There are fights between siblings, feelings of failure after I lose my patience, and moments I have to step outside and breathe before I’m ready to go back into the fray.

But, there are also snuggles while reading books together, games of “chase” that end up with everyone laughing on the floor, and the magic of playing pretend together. There are moments of satisfaction when the kids actually share without being reminded, new discoveries and triumphs, and tears that only I can wipe away.

At the end of the day, I am so grateful for the blessing of being a mom.