I sometimes struggle with the whole grateful thing. Sometimes I try and know that behind my simple gratitudes is a world of ‘despite…’ and ‘still…’, “but…’ and other not so grateful thoughts. And then I don’t post them at all.
But last week I went to Carole’s blog to link up my post for Three on Tuesday and her post really hit me.
She talked about how the things she listed were all things that didn’t go very well at first and the struggle to get to a point she could be grateful for them. And then she said: “then we get to feel thankful in a way that’s bigger and better and more satisfying because it took some work to get there.”
Wow! That really struck a chord with me.
So it’s not wrong to know that you aren’t just simply thankful for some things… It’s not ungrateful to know that it’s hard to be thankful for them sometimes… I know, duh! But also, somewhat of an epiphany to me. I have been trying to work up some higher serene feelings that just weren’t there (because, life) and now I’m finally starting to accept that it doesn’t have to be all that perfect.
So here are three things that I am thankful for today (despite…, but… etc.)
1. This house.
Talking about struggle… But it is all worth it. I already love it the way it is and it will be beautiful someday.
2. Living here.
I still get homesick every once in a while and there are times that I wished we never left, but I do love this island and the kind of life we’re able to live here.
3. Airplanes.
Ha! If I had to travel on a ship for six weeks to see my family I don’t think I’d moved here. I hate the flight itself (ten hours, no knitting allowed and I always have to force myself not to think about the fact that I’m in an aluminum tube going really fast and really high), but it takes me to my family, or back to my island and that’s why I am grateful that they exist.
Linking up with Carole’s Three on Tuesday