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Gratitude List

Ruth Ayres

Oops…I was supposed to post this yesterday. Oh well, here we go…

Gratitudes

  1. Dirty Dishes. I cook for my family. We eat together. Again and again. So I smile as I wash and remember not everyone has the abundance of food as we do.
  2. Muddy Floor. My kids play outside, and they run inside, not pausing to take off their shoes, because they are so excited to show this treasure of that insect or give me a flower and a kiss.
  3. Heaps of Laundry. We have closets full of clothes and are healthy enough to wear work clothes and exercise clothes and play clothes and basketball clothes and swim suits and winter coats and gloves and hats. Plus I get to wash, dry, and fold them in my house instead of a laundry mat.
  4. Paper Piles. We go to school and write books and get mail and cards and packages. We have schedules and field trip forms and book orders. We write notes to one another. I’m fortunate this pile gets cleared every few days.
  5. Bills. We have electricity and heat. We have money to pay them.

Sometimes the things I complain about the most are really my biggest blessings.

Published by Ruth Ayres

Unhurried. Finding the magic in the middle of living. Capturing a life of ridiculous grace + raw stories.

5 thoughts on “Gratitude List”

  1. I am thankful for good luck, for being in the right place at the right time. I feel so lucky for a profession I loved for 28 and beyond. In my classroom, out of my classroom, into other classrooms…On stages, large and small I have been respected and I am so grateful for the rewards I’ve reaped. I hope it continues for a love time šŸ™‚

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  2. I love this Ruth! It makes me think of my last SOL post. Life is a roller coaster ride. You can shut your eyes and scream for your mommy OR you can throw your hands up and enjoy the ride! I love how you see the positives in the negatives. Enjoy the ride!

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  3. Just lovely- as Christy notes, one can look at life as a list of things to complain about…or to take joy and comfort in. I’m glad that you did the latter, Ruth, and thus made me look upon my own list with new eyes.

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  4. I like the tension of opposites here–a list of things to be thankful for that at first glance looks like a list of complaints. This is a great reminder of the good nestled within our lives if we just take the time to notice.

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  5. One of your (and mine too) biggest blessings is that you are not alone. You are surrounded by love and purpose–as a wife, mom, and professional. Your days are full and meaning-full. Quite a lot for which to be thankful! I am thankful you are here to remind us of our own “gratitudes.”

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