Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Morning gratitudes

Slept late. I had a reaction to the pills I'm taking for my tooth -- couldn't sleep. Body vibrating. Eventually moved to the couch and after a cup of warm milk and honey fell asleep in the early morning hours. Ugh.

But! There's still the matter of the day unfolding. Still the excitement of another chance to live it up!

And that's the thing about the day. No matter how I'm feeling, what I'm thinking, how I'm doing, the day unfolds, time opens up, moments expand into the next. No matter my mood, the day awakens with opportunity.

Today promises to be filled with excitement. We're producing a new ad for the shelter where I work and today we're filming. Plus, I'm having lunch with a very dear friend -- one of the very first people I met when I moved west from Toronto in the 70s. What fun. And then tonight, I have a Christmas open house to go to and a concert at a mall where some friends of Alexis are singing -- five young men who formed an acapella group and do an awesome job on Christmas carols. Last Saturday night they came down to the shelter and wowed our clients and staff with their singing.

So, rather than focus on how tired I am, I've decided to focus on how excited I am to step into my day. To greet each opportunity with an open mind, loving heart and an attitude of gratitude.

I am grateful for this day. For this opportunity to expand into my being all that I am meant to be. I am grateful for my warm cup of coffee steaming in my favourite Christmas mug on the desk beside me. I am grateful for the warmth of my cozy house surrounding me. For the twinkling lights on the Christmas tree in the living room, and for the lights twinkling on the 'boys' tree on the table beside my desk -- Alexis and Liseanne decided our big tree was rather 'girlie' -- and it is! All pink and rose with beautiful glass balls and ornaments of ballerinas, dancing slippers and skates and exotic faces. To balance the femininity and to provide 'the boys' a tree of their own, they created "The Boy's Tree" in the dining room just beside where my office desk is. It's covered in blue balls and tinsel and miniature booze bottles -- a miniature tree but a real masculine concoction!

And I am grateful for being able to witness the beauty of the sun rising in the east. A girlfriend just dropped by to pick something up and we stood at the front door and watched in awe as the fiery sunrise lit up the skyscrapers downtown and set the sky aglow with rose and pink and auburn hues.

What an awesome day to be alive.

The question is: What are you focused on? How much you have to do, or how much you have? Is your heart filled with gratitude as you step into your day?

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