A Season of Thanks: Day 21

Today is a difficult day to be grateful.
It's cold and wet outside, the office is dreary.
I have a headache.
Ella's back with her mom.
Work is not exactly my priority today.

And yet, these are the moments which remind me to be grateful in all things.
Today it's not easy to choose a topic on which to write.
Because nothing comes bubbling up from my soul.

But when I quiet myself long enough to look inside, I realize how deep my gratitude runs.
Some days the gratefulness isn't at the surface, but it is always there, coursing beneath the deep like the lifeblood through my veins.

Deep in my soul, I find today that I am grateful for days like this one.
It surprises even me.

Today feels slower.
Quite a few of my colleagues took some vacation time this week, leaving the office quieter.
I have boxes of books waiting to be unpacked.
A cup of hot tea in my reach.
A quiet phone and easy-to-answer emails.

Days like today can seem "boring" if I look only on the surface.
But when I take the time to reflect on days like today, I find a deeper sense of who I am.
As a wife.
As an employee.
As a mom.
As a daughter, sister, and cousin.

Today I will not focus on what is to come over the next week:
Finley,
The Briggs' family,
Mom and Dad,
Annie,
Laughter,
A Wonderful Surprise,
A table full of food,
Dear Friends.

Instead I will allow this "normal" day to be rich.
I will stop living on the surface of my emotions and look deeper at who I am.
I will make this normal day its own reason to be grateful.

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are…
Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect Tomorrow.
One day I shall dig my nails into the earth,
or bury my face in my pillow,
or stretch myself taut,
or raise my hands to the sky and want,
more than all the world, your return.
- Mary Jean Iron