Being Thankful

When you have a lot of responsibilities that demand your attention, it can be very difficult to be thankful for the easy things that don't demand your attention; because you can't see them through the fog of all that must be taken care of.  I talked a lot about coming out of the fog and a lot of that for us has been to consciously be thankful for the here and now and to stop and appreciate the here and now for what it is. 

I am part of the Deaf and Blind Parent Conference Committee this year and our meeting was in Saratoga Springs.  I will admit that I wasn't really excited to drive an hour and a half away on a Saturday.  We decided to make the most of it and in true Utah fashion plan a vacation get-away to Ikea after the meeting.  Simon started fussing during the meeting and we thought he could use some quiet drive time so we decided to drive around Utah lake before heading to Ikea.  What happened instead was us falling in love with Saratoga Springs and then discovering parts of Utah we had never been to.  Our final stop was Santaquin Canyon.  It was a heavenly place and a great reminder to not over shedule, go with the flow and really stop and admire the beauty all around us. Just take a break and soak in the beauty around us.  I think we are becoming better people because of it.  I know my anxiety level is diminishing. 

I am a big believer in, "there is always something to be thankful for".  Sometimes you have to look for it, but with gratitude comes a relief from the heaviness that a lack of appreciation cultivates.  I read something attributed to Buddah, but I did not do the research to make sure.  It said something to the affect of, "Not forgiving someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die."; that was a eureka moment for me.  I thought that can be interpreted into so many different scenarios of life and struggle.  Let go of the things that weigh heavy on us, that will slowly kill us like a painful cancer; let it go.  For our own sake.  For our own happiness.  For our own life. 

Worry, pain, sadness; all of those things are a part of life, but what do they accomplish?  I had a moment last week, after receiving some unexpected medical bills in the thousands, of pure panic and worry.  I was bawling and pacing and not sure what we were going to do.  Then I stopped myself and thought, "what can I do?".  That is when I went into action.  Action is power and control.  Worry and panic is a tiring illness that sucks the life out of the ability to take action.  I have had my moments where I just wanted to curl up and not deal.  What I've found is taking those moments to slow down, appreciate what is around me has been so empowering and energizing; I just hate the time I wasted before. I choose life and energy!