Thanksgiving Season

As we get into the Thanksgiving Season (in my book it is NOT Christmas season until Thanksgiving Season has been thoroughly celebrated!), I've decided to blog every day about one thing I'm especially grateful for that day. I used to keep a gratitude journal and I was a happier, more optimistic person in those days. So I'm starting again (inspired by Thanksgiving and by the Power of Optimism that we just launched at The Power of Moms for this month).

At dinner, we're starting up our tradition of writing down some things we're grateful for on the paper leaves we put on our "Gratitude Tree" (just yellow, orange and red construction paper leaves that we tape onto a stick that we found and stuck into styrofoam in a flower pot - pretty darn easy).  The kids love doing this and it keeps us all going with an "attitude of gratitude."

Here's my personal gratitude for today:
As I went for a run this morning with the smell of rain and wet leaves in the air, the view of snow-capped mountains in the distance, the brilliance of fall leaves heightened by overcast skies and the recent rain, the total "alive" feeling of the crisp air filling my lungs and making my legs and hands tingle, I felt so grateful for my five senses and my healthy body. Seeing loved ones go through health challenges makes me more aware than ever of what a blessing it is to be healthy. My body may not look just the way I'd like it to - stretch marks, hair that won't cooperate and needs to be cut, more padding here and there than is really necessary, wrinkles popping up.  And it may not work quite as well as it once did (that c-section wasn't wonderful for my digestive system, my eyes aren't what they were, I've got a knee that doesn't love running that much...).  But wow, I'm blessed to be able to do all that I need to do and more!