Blessings

I got thinking today...and before I started to think too much about my consistently messy house and crazy, chaotic life and get overwhelmed and feel a little sorry for myself...I thought, at least I have a house to get messy.  And I have four great, healthy, active, imaginative kids to mess it up, including the littlest one who is so smart, agile and strong that he got into the fridge (again), opened the Ranch dressing and poured himself a plate of it and lapped at it to his wee heart's content, leaving traces of his drippy snack all down his shirt, pants, the floor and rug.  And I have lots of fabulous tidbits and whatnots to aid in cluttering the homestead...in fact we are never, ever lacking in the toys/books/hair accessories/shoes/blocks/art supplies department.  And we are able to do lots of fun activities that do make me feel slightly scatter-brained and over-busy...but how lucky am I to have the opportunity for my kids to play sports and learn piano and go to Art Club and Scouts?  I am also lucky that my kids have great teachers that teach them how to read and write, even if it means they write their beloved teacher's name on the bathroom wall with exquisite penmanship (for a 5 year old).  And even though I have constant piles of dirty laundry...when it's clean, it smells absolutely outrageous.

I am blessed.

I guess it's just all in the perspective.

Last night at Activity Days, a church-sponsored event held two evenings a month for girls 8-11, we had an object lesson on gratitude and the girls each got a rock put in their shoe and a sucker to eat and then were told to walk around the room and enjoy their sucker.  They limped and moaned (and giggled) and chanted, "Ow, OW, Ow" with each step and after a bit, the leader in charge for the night asked them about their walk.  They all commented on how much the rock hurt, etc. etc.  The leader then asked why no one said anything about the suckers. She went on to say how we do this a lot in life...we focus on the negative and forget the good things.  It really struck a chord with me.  I think I do that all too often.  So here I am trying to switch it up, because life really is sweet...and the sucker was really good.