For This I Am Grateful
One of our most important spiritual practices is to dwell on the good things in life and find the sacred in everything. What are you grateful for? We’d love to hear from you in the comments section!
bright-coloured school supplies in all the stores in September
sunny afternoons
(veggie) burgers on the barbecue
kids’ lemonade stands
the smell of sunscreen
local strawberries
the smell of a freshly cut Christmas tree
finding a great parking spot
neighbourhood fireworks displays
staying indoors in front of a fire on dark, cold nights
farmer’s markets
a little girl’s china tea set
an organized home office
apples and cinnamon
little kids in ski helmets
mushroom and white truffle risotto
The children’s book, The Little Brute Family
letters to Santa
garlic bread
knock knock jokes told by kids
new fall catalogs
the closing ceremonies of the Olympics
ripe Ontario peaches
repair people who show up on time and charge less than we expected
flea market silver trays
Tofurkey sausage with sundried tomatoes
fresh pineapple
plaid flannel pjs
clean sheets
Marian Keyes’s books
Tim Walker photographs
phone calls with friends
using the good china
a cups of decaf earl grey tea
country inns
freshly baked gingerbread
eating french fries from a chip truck at an outdoor flea market
Christmas lights
fairy lights in the trees at night
girls’ night out
holiday decorations
the first snowfall of the year
shortbread cookies
sunny winter days
the well-worn pages of a church hymn book
decaf skinny lattes
harp music
Bobbi Brown’s Cranberry Lip Sheer
little kids playing on the beach
Mariah Carey’s version of All I Want for Christmas is You
cashmere sweaters
finding out your meeting is cancelled and you have a free hour in the day to spend as you wish
front doors painted red
summer vacation and a stack of unread novels
toasted cinnamon bagels with butter
shocking pink pedicures
fresh flowers in the kitchen
the wood/candle/earth smell of an old stone church
watching It’s a Wonderful Life every Christmas
tartan ribbon
headbands
long weekends
bedtime prayers
the sound of a loon call on a lake
moving around furniture as a de-stressing activity
balmy weather on Halloween night
finding a really great babysitter
the fun that goes into planning a vacation
dead sea bath salts
feeling the presence of God
pumpkin seed bread
balsamic vinaigrette dressing
the feeling you get after a workout
family who act like friends and friends who act like family
our children’s hugs
the luxury of a sick day
the quote “You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” -A.A. Milne
time to savour the holiday issues of Victoria, Romantic Homes, and Life:Beautiful magazine
five year-olds singing the Happy Birthday song
a hand dipped milk chocolate truffle
an empty email inbox
wearing chartreuse and purple together
poppyseed danish
the neighbourhood park
sweater weather
a newly washed car
crying during the movie Message in a Bottle
trips to the pumpkin patch
birthday presents wrapped by a four-year old
long baths
answered prayers
freshly backed oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
snuggling under a warm duvet on a cold night
pear and chocolate tarts
the crunch of fall leaves under your feet during a walk in the country
children napping in the car
a new puppy
a novel that’s hard to put down
still-warm loaves of bread from the bakery
a bouquet of flowers, just because
a box of new, freshly sharpened pencil crayons
The Nutcracker
kindergarten teachers
handmade Mother’s Day cards
the sight of our families greeting us at the airport
cottage weekends
outdoor sofas
squirrels gathering nuts for the winter
ear muffs
gerbera daisies
vanilla ice cream sprinkled with cinnamon
Daniel Craig in Casino Royale
hopscotch
kids running through sprinklers
dogs sleeping on porches
