I am grateful for getting home in one piece tonight. On very rare occasions in the months since I started commuting back and forth between my job and my home, I’ve driven while drowsy. I’m amazed it hasn’t happened more often given how my schedule seems to arrange itself; but nine times out of ten I am completely awake and alert on my drive home. Tonight, I got tired, fortunately it was at the very end of the drive. It took me a little time to be aware of my exhaustion, but when I realized how distracted I was I started employing various staying awake strategies. Nevertheless, I am grateful that over the course of the hour and 20 minute drive home, I was watched over by angels. And I am grateful.
I was relieved to get home and going quickly through my evening routine: as soon as I get in the door, I grab Honor’s leash, hook her up, put on my gardening boots and take her for our evening walkabout in the back yard so she can do her business. Once we’re back inside I pretty much immediately set about the task of feeding her and then feeding myself. Tonight I was true to my schedule, sitting down to eat my dinner around 7 p.m. like usual. I fell asleep with my tray on my lap, pulling myself awake when a telemarketer called around 8 p.m. I am grateful to be at the end of what felt like a pretty hectic week. I am coming into what looks to be a hectic time period. Still, in spite of my exhaustion, I am grateful nonetheless for the work I am able to do each day.
So as I sit, wrapped in my electric throw blanket listening to the sound of rain pelting against my windows I am relieved to have the next couple of days off. I have things that I need to take care of here at home and that too requires energy, but it’s a different kind of energy that I hope to be able to muster to get it taken care of. Tonight, however, I am drowsing and will shortly turn in. This week I’ve spent most evenings focusing on simple gratitude, recognizing the myriad small ways in which I am blessed, the things which I could so easily take for granted. Tonight I add traveling mercies to this week’s simple gratitude list.
One more simple gratitude for tonight. I am grateful for all the little things that happen during the course of a day that make me smile. This afternoon at lunch time I was on my computer checking out a posting on my Facebook page. I don’t usually check at work, but took a few moments today while I was eating my lunch to catch up on things. One of my FB friends had posted a video of a baby elephant playing in the ocean. It was a joy to watch this happy creature frolicking and splashing in the ocean like any child playing in the surf. It was one of the sweetest things I’d seen recently and it put a huge smile on my face. I’ll take those free bursts of joy anytime I can get them, and appreciate them all the more when I can refer back to them periodically when I am in need of a smile or laugh.
I am grateful for this day, for this week and all that has transpired in it. I will sleep in a bit tomorrow, grateful for the weekend when I can hopefully recharge my physical and emotional batteries. Tomorrow is a new day with new possibilities. I look forward to seeing what it might bring.
