1000 Gifts

I discovered an idea through a friend’s blog (From Mountain Tops) today that has fired me up to be grateful.

Studies show that grateful people are happier and healthier. The idea is to start a gratitude list and add to it until you have listed 1000 gifts. You can do this any way you like, but as you might guess, the more regular your practice, the greater the benefit.

On my friend’s blog, she lists as number 57 “For dog hair on the carpet, because I love the dog who left it there.” I am looking at my almost 12 year old dog right now, curled up sleeping in her favorite chair. When she gets up, there will be dog hair and drool left behind. Instead of being annoyed, I will be grateful for the years of unconditional love and devotion this dog has given our family. In fact, I am going to go over to her right now and rub her soft ears and say thank you.

... Okay, I’m back. When I get finished with this entry, I will go downstairs and put the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, and I will be grateful because I love the daughter who left them in the sink. I just finished reading a heartbreaking book written by a woman whose only child died in a plane crash. (The Sacred Wound by Lois Gold.) I will be especially grateful that my daughter is here to leave dirty dishes in the sink.

So here is the beginning of my list of 1000 gifts I’m grateful for.

1. Sleeping in this morning
2. A cup of hot tea in my favorite mug
3. A long hot shower
4. My canary singing as I write this
5. The sun breaking through the clouds
6. My sister
7. Learning how to play mahjong
8. Breaking two boards in taekwondo last night
9. My friend’s blog reminding me to be grateful
10. My friend who wrote it