This afternoon, as my 7-year-old and I walked around our neighborhood picking up trash, she asked what I was going to write about next in my new blog. I told her I wasn't sure yet. She suggested that I write about miracles.
Still thinking about our good fortune with the coins, my 7-year-old pointed out how for weeks I had been wishing for our street to get repaved and how now construction on our street has actually started! (Not quite for repaving yet, but that will come soon enough... I hope!)
Some people would be quick to argue that the two were purely coincidental, but I'd like to side with my daughter and credit a higher power. In fact, I'd like to think that my picking up trash the other day somehow convinced the Universe or God that our street deserves to be repaved.
I believe that we are blessed with miracles all the time. The only thing is that we don't always recognize them as such. We are often too quick to dismiss things as coincidental or "pure luck" or "just meant to happen," but why not a miracle gifted to us from a higher power?!?
I told my 7-year-old that she and her two sisters are my miracles. She quickly shook her head, "Naaahhh, people have kids all the time!" And I countered with, "There are some people who can't have any!" In fact, it took me and my husband three years before being able to conceive, so I do consider our firstborn our miracle child.
But, really, all three of my girls bring me so much joy and all three are my miracles.
My daughter wasn't having it. To her, people have kids and that's that. And yet she really liked the idea of a higher power (maybe God? maybe the Universe? Something!) appreciating the street clean up and finally agreeing to getting it repaved. Go figure!
I say we are blessed with miracles all the time. We just need to be more aware of them. And we need to be grateful for them.
About three years ago, I was inspired by my husband's cousin to start a daily gratitude journal. Every night before I go to bed, I list all the things that I'm thankful for. And you know what? It has actually made me more appreciative and more aware of all the miracles in my life.
I am not wealthy nor am I super successful as far as careers go, but everyday I have many things that I'm grateful for. Sometimes it's as simple as finding a parking spot and being early for work (that was when I was still employed obviously). Sometimes it's heartwarming like when my daughter and I were waiting in line for hours at the grand opening of Jollibee. When the woman for whom I was dog-sitting found out that we had been there waiting for so long, she passed by and dropped off bottles of water and chips for me and my daughter instead of going directly to our place to pick up her dog.
Acts of kindness are miracles!
My favorite saying (and I wish I knew who first penned it so I can give that person proper credit) is "There is always, always, something to be thankful for."
It's true. Even on my worst days (when I'm filled with frustration or fatigued and stressed), even on those days, I still found many things to be grateful for. That, in itself, is a miracle.
Nature...
This summer we went on a road trip and experienced the Great Smokey Mountains for the first time. Gazing out at the misty mountains, I was awed by the beauty and miracle of Nature. Then we visited my sister in North Carolina and she took us to South Topsail Island. There, I was in awe of the ocean and the beach and the hundreds of crabs that scampered around on the sand only to dive into their holes when we got too close.
My brother and his family recently visited the Sequoia National Forest and they, too, were in awe of Nature's beauty - the gigantic trees and the majestic mountains.
A former student of mine just recently travelled to the Grand Canyon with her family. I bet they would agree that what they witnessed was a miracle.
But even back home, in our daily lives, miracles do happen. Sometimes they are simple things, sometimes they are grand gestures. Sometimes they can even be negative experiences. We just need to be open and recognize that even a negative situation can become a learning experience.
And remember to be grateful. I am... Everyday!
My daughter wasn't having it. To her, people have kids and that's that. And yet she really liked the idea of a higher power (maybe God? maybe the Universe? Something!) appreciating the street clean up and finally agreeing to getting it repaved. Go figure!
I say we are blessed with miracles all the time. We just need to be more aware of them. And we need to be grateful for them.
About three years ago, I was inspired by my husband's cousin to start a daily gratitude journal. Every night before I go to bed, I list all the things that I'm thankful for. And you know what? It has actually made me more appreciative and more aware of all the miracles in my life.
I am not wealthy nor am I super successful as far as careers go, but everyday I have many things that I'm grateful for. Sometimes it's as simple as finding a parking spot and being early for work (that was when I was still employed obviously). Sometimes it's heartwarming like when my daughter and I were waiting in line for hours at the grand opening of Jollibee. When the woman for whom I was dog-sitting found out that we had been there waiting for so long, she passed by and dropped off bottles of water and chips for me and my daughter instead of going directly to our place to pick up her dog.
Acts of kindness are miracles!
My favorite saying (and I wish I knew who first penned it so I can give that person proper credit) is "There is always, always, something to be thankful for."
It's true. Even on my worst days (when I'm filled with frustration or fatigued and stressed), even on those days, I still found many things to be grateful for. That, in itself, is a miracle.
Nature...
Nature is a miracle!
This summer we went on a road trip and experienced the Great Smokey Mountains for the first time. Gazing out at the misty mountains, I was awed by the beauty and miracle of Nature. Then we visited my sister in North Carolina and she took us to South Topsail Island. There, I was in awe of the ocean and the beach and the hundreds of crabs that scampered around on the sand only to dive into their holes when we got too close.
My brother and his family recently visited the Sequoia National Forest and they, too, were in awe of Nature's beauty - the gigantic trees and the majestic mountains.
A former student of mine just recently travelled to the Grand Canyon with her family. I bet they would agree that what they witnessed was a miracle.
But even back home, in our daily lives, miracles do happen. Sometimes they are simple things, sometimes they are grand gestures. Sometimes they can even be negative experiences. We just need to be open and recognize that even a negative situation can become a learning experience.
Look for the positive. Even on your worst days, if you look hard enough, there will be something you can consider your miracle.
And remember to be grateful. I am... Everyday!
This is the beginning of more stories to come. Congratulations ate barbs! ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Richard! :)
ReplyDeleteAnd, of course, as you probably already know, you were the one who inspired me to start my gratitude journal! So really, really, THANK YOU!