Grateful

Sinus crud is better today.  I went to work.  As I was leaving this evening I noticed dark clouds gathering toward home.  It was so hot as I walked across the parking lot, I was hoping for rain.
About a mile down the road there was a gentle sprinkle.  As I continued to drive homeward, the drops were bigger and more plentiful.  Soon as my grandmother Mamie used to say, we were getting a good little shower.  About five miles from home the sun came out, the rain disappeared.  I was grateful anyway.  The air smelled great and for a few minutes the earth was clean and fresh...and cooler.
I considered that good little shower a gift. 

I am a firm believer in grateful.  Gratitude is life changing.  When we begin to be grateful for the small things, big things follow.  And with gratitude comes joy.  So if you want some joy in your life, start being grateful.  Throughout my day, I make gratitude lists in my head.  I tell my students to think of one thing every morning to be grateful for.  Pretty soon, you will think of many things to be grateful for.  Sometimes I tell them to keep a gratitude journal.  Start with three things and every day write down three things, in a couple of weeks, write five down and pretty soon, those five will multiply.  I promise the gratitude for the small will bring the big and any gratitude will bring joy.

Tomorrow is hump day, think of one thing to be grateful for when you wake up.  Before you go to bed tomorrow night, think of three things.  And in between, be kind.