There might be a better way to end or start a year or a month or a day, rather than counting grace, but I’m not sure what that might be.

If gratitude can bless a life (and I believe that it can) then surely it can bless a year.

It’s not so much shout-for-joy this particular year, as it is whispered thanks.

Quiet gratitude.

Quiet gratitude –

For finding enough strength inside ourselves, or borrowing Someone else’s, to make it through this year, this month, this afternoon. Life can be hard.

For morning sun and morning mist and morning snow and sleet and ice too. And why not? Another morning? Another day? Another chance? Grace. Grace. Grace.

For that tribe, family we’ve been blessed with, whether we share DNA or not. They simply insist on loving us and staying right there by our side against all rational thought, even in our very worst moments. Unbelievable. What in the world are they thinking? And how in the world did we get so lucky? Miracles happen every day, especially on the very worst ones.

For finally, finally, finally getting comfortable in our own skin and our own body. Or maybe for finally, finally, finally starting to think that maybe, just maybe, it’s actually possible to be. Baby steps are still steps – ask any intrepid toddler who’s made it almost half-way across the room already.

For close summer nights and frigid winter mornings, the first glimpse of green in spring and the cacophony of leaves cascading in the fall…for caterpillars and ladybugs and the first shoots of asparagus coming up – again, thank God. She’s showing off, I suppose. Or maybe just providing things we need – bounty and beauty and guts and courage and shooting stars. Some of which we notice.

For this moment – this very one – and the tiny bit of wisdom that whispers “notice me”.

Do you have a minute to notice? Do any of us?

A minute to close our eyes and breathe, deep belly-filling breaths, and then woosh it out and just notice?

This is a holy moment.

Every moment is a holy moment if you let yourself see the eternity of it.

If you notice, with quiet gratitude.

~xo,
LuAnne

tweetables:

“If the only prayer you ever say in your life is ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” (~Meister Eckhart) “To live in the present moment is a miracle.” (~Thich Nhat Hanh)