There are countless things to appreciate, you need only look. |
"Are we almost home yet?" came the question every parent hears with dread. "We have more than an hour to go, so get comfortable," I replied. We were returning from a day at the Simon Pearce hand-blown glass and pottery workshop. Rather than get infuriated over the inevitable whining that ensued soon thereafter, I decided to start a little activity, which turned out not only good for them, but for me as well. While my husband drove along, we had to create a list of all the things we could think of that we appreciated in life. Boy, did the griping really start then. "Let's just do it for five minutes, ok?" I figured that would be long enough to distract them from their current whining session. Five minutes turned into ten, then twenty, then forty-five minutes. In fact, it became a contest of who could find more things they appreciated. It was wonderful, again, not only for them, but for me. Here is the list of things I appreciate that I wrote while on that eye-opening drive with my family: 1. Going on rides with my family 2. The sun on my face 3. Reading to my children 4. Reflections of the sun on lakes and rivers 5. A full tank of gas 6. Ice-cream 7. Autumn leaves 8. When my husband hugs me 9. When someone makes me a cup of tea 10. Making pancakes for my kids 11. Ice-cold lemonade on a hot day 12. Music 13. Mountain ranges 14. Waterfalls 15. Flowers 16. All types of bridges 17. Crawling into bed when I'm exhausted 18. When Shannon (my daughter) makes me "egg in a boat" 19. Writing 20. A good review 21. Going downhill on a bike 22. Hitting a baseball 23. Kisses & hugs from my kids 24. Smell of freshly cut grass 25. Soft grass under my feet 26. Grandma's Magnolia tree in bloom 27. Rainbows 28. When birds come close 29. Sunrises and sunsets 30. Full moons 31. Having a job 32. Ability to read 33. Good books 34. Going to the movies 35. Clean streets 36. Spaghetti with lots of sauce 37. Being told I can leave work early 38. Watching snowstorms 39. Thunder storms 40. Swings 41. Pictures of my friends & family 42. Dishwashers 43. Talking to my mom on the phone 44. Sit- ting on the third base line at Fenway Park 45. Green lights when I'm late 46. Pizza with soda 47. Buy 1, Get 2 Free grocery sales 48. Good brakes 49. The wondrous smell of our Butterfly Bush 50.Hot showers 51. Bubble baths 52. When I have to ask my kids to do or no to do something only once 53. American flags blowing in the breeze 54. When someone offers to scratch my back 55. Going on vaca- tions with my family 56. Surprising my kids 57. No traffic 58. Clean car inside & out 59. Orange-spotted newts 60. Hot chocolate after shoveling snow 61. Coming home to a clean house 62. Fountains 63. Hot air balloons 64. Comedians 65. Circular drive- ways 66. Good health and the good health of my friends and family 67. hikes in the woods 68. Reading on the beach 69. Seatbelts 70. Dr. Seuss books 71. Museums 72. Candles 73. Campfires 74. Toasting marshmallows 75. Singing Neil Diamond songs in the car with the kids (don't laugh, it's a blast, trust me) 76. Taking off my bra at night (this is a big one) 77. When my kids don't whine 78. When my kids are laughing/being silly 79. Cloud gazing 80.Stargazing 81. Fires in the fireplace 82. Exploring caves 83. Treehouses 84. Catching a fish 5. Saltwater fishtanks 86. Bookstores & libraries 87. All kinds of sports 88.Our new home 89. Fast Lane speed pass for tollbooths 90. Making Clover (our Golden Retriever) wag her tail like mad 91. Playing guitar 92.Sun- glasses 93. Being born American 94. Ability to vote 95. Free time with my hus- band 96. Gorges 97. Dams 98. When my children treat each other as friends 99. Making my kids laugh when I change the words in books while I read to them How do you fill up your hourglass of time? We have all heard at some point in our lives that life wasn't meant to be easy, yet we live in a society where people seem to think satisfaction should be thrust upon them through no efforts of their own. Beauty in the everyday is all around us. We must merely lift the veils of our many imagined plights to see it. The next time you find your children, or even yourself, incessantly complaining, try finding the things you appreciate and make your own list. It will probably be longer than you expected. |