Monday, December 12, 2011

My cheerful little Christmas tree reminds me of  the joy of the season.
There are days when you simply have to be thankful for what you have. Today was one of those.

I go out to the car to drive to work and find that a front tire is flat. While the mechanic is fixing it, he tells me I need four new all-weather tires before the snow flies. I remind myself I am lucky to have a car.

All 19 students in my classroom act as though they are in the throes of full moon madness, lying sideways on their desks, chattering to one another like magpies instead of working quietly, starting food fights in the cafeteria and attacking one another on the playground. I remind myself that I'm lucky to have a job.

My bank account is starving. I remind myself that I am not.

The landlord's furnace goes kaput and it will take three full days to replace it and all the antiquated attendant piping - three days without heat or hot water (my cottage is attached to the main house). I remind myself I'm lucky to have a place to live.

I cannot sleep straight through a night, no matter how tired I am. When I wake at 2 or 3 or 4, the monkey mind will not be stilled. I remind myself I'm lucky to still be cognizant of what's going on around me.

Two of my four children live too far away to see at holidays. I remind myself that though we are distant in miles we are close in heart.

Not everyone is as lucky as I am!

11 comments:

Brian Miller said...

oy...been a crazy day huh...i understand...ready for this year to be over cause it has been brutal...but i have it better than most...

Judith said...

Great new snow photo, Pauline. I hope tomorrow and the rest of the week will go smoother ---

Teri said...

Boy...can I relate to this post: the starving bank account, my monkey mind will not let me sleep through the night either, and so many other things especially with the kids. Is it the moon do you think? My entire family has had some sort of sickness in the last couple of weeks and I am determined not to let it get me. Wish me luck! And Happy Holidays. You are right: we have so much to be thankful for.

molly said...

Way to think positively Pauline!

Steve Reed said...

Bravo! It's easy to lose sight of the positives amid our daily stress.

Marion said...

I love how you turn the negative into a positive. I'm practising the same and I find it to be such a simpler way to live. Everything is as it should be, right now...a saying I think about often!

Anonymous said...

Love how you put a positive spin on everything! I need to do this more often! Hope the rest of the week is easier on you!

herhimnbryn said...

Hang in there dearest P.

Pauline said...

brian - Mama said there'd be days like this! Hope the new year is a better one for you.

Thanks J - I took it last year when we had tons of snow.

Teri - I think it's cyclical. Every so often everything goes wrong all at once. I think we notice it more because most of the time, things are perking along just fine!

Molly - over the years I've learned...

Steve - it is! I make it a point (sometimes I grumble about it though) to find some good in every situation. Makes me feel better :)

Marion - if we didn't turn things around, think how awful we'd feel all the time! I'm not willing to be so discontent ;)

HHB - hanging! Things will be better by tomorrow when the heat is on and the day after when the water is again hot.

Joseph Pulikotil said...

Hello Pauline,

Greetings.

In this world most of us go around comparing ourselves with those of others better than us and not with the millions who lack so many simple facilities in life. It has become a habit with most of us to grumble and complain for trivial reasons and we lose sight of the many blessing that we have although we don't deserve them or did not earn them through our own merit and hard work.Yes, we are blessed compared to the millions who starve,who don't have homes to live,who are sick,who are financially broke, who don't have jobs and unable to support themselves or their families with little children,who walk miles instead of boarding a bus so that they can save some money for some other essential things and so on so forth.

Your post delves very clearly into the need to appreciate the many things we have and enjoy.This is the apt post for this wonderful Christmas season.Remember the saying - I COMPLAINED I HAD NO SHOES UNTIL I SAW A MAN WITHOUT FEET.

Have a wonderful day Pauline,
Joseph

Hilary said...

Good, positive thinking.. but may you need fewer reminders next year.