Grateful for my mind shift

I sat here wondering how many posts on gratitude I have written and cannot believe it is 50 something posts (over 40 linked up to Bron’s gratefuls in whatever incarnation they have appeared). I ended up down memory lane looking through some of my earliest gratitude posts, checking out the comments from that old community, discovered some comments from bloggers (I now take for granted in my life) saying they just discovered my blog…

I never set out to have a focus on gratitude on this blog. It actually started when, 2 months into blogging, I started feeling it wasn’t for me. I felt drawn to comparison, worried about where I fit in, feeling low when no one commented, wondering what “rules” to follow. I had a theory that gratitude would be the antidote to those negative feelings and for once I was right.

I sit here so many months after that choice was made – focusing on gratitude, connecting on this topic with others – and appreciate what it has done for my life.

This week I am grateful that I have a hard working husband that has provided for our family as sole bread winner for 9 + years. He is working crazy hours again and I see the cracks forming. Instead of getting cranky that he is not here or wishing he’d find a new job (like I used to) I find myself checking in, asking if he will be home for dinner, putting aside food for him to have at work, just generally being grateful as he gets home late and pushes himself to get up and do it all again the next day.

I am so grateful for all the changes that have happened this year with Alice’s eating.  I noticed this week that I no longer feel a heavy heart about her issues any more. Something has shifted for both of us and in my heart I know she will get there now. We had to run some errands this week on the public holiday and headed to a local Westfield. I knew we would still be there at lunchtime and know she does not really like anything on offer there so decided to revert to my old habit of bringing a peanut butter sandwich for her. The difference was this time I did not feel like it was a sign of lack of progress. It felt like just a practical move so that Lulu and I could enjoy some sushi like we do when Alice is not with us. No pressure for Alice. No stress for me. We were able to enjoy a 20 minute break.

The kids were talking about lunches for school since I mentioned I am determined to finally start making my own sushi (and could send some with Lulu if she wanted). Lulu was picking at a nori sheet and Alice decided to taste it and liked it. I mentioned she liked the nori, she likes rice, she now likes prawns (a recent change) so why not try a prawn tempura roll. She shocked me by finally agreeing to try one and ate a lot of it. These are massive strides and I am grateful for every break down I had and she had. We had to break down to rebuild and I feel like we are finally finding our feet together. It has only taken 6 years of tears and stress, but I can almost see the light shining at the end of the tunnel.

What are you grateful for this week?

Find your simple,

Deb

Image credit: This beautiful embroidered “gratitude” hoop is available on etsy from  seller Wild Plums

Linking up with 52 weeks of grateful at Kidspot – come join in…

Tagged as: mindset