Wednesday, April 21, 2010

1000 Gifts: It Begins with 1

A dozen times I have nearly begun and then backed away.

It's not Monday, after all. And what of the laundry that sits damp waiting to be tossed dry? Or the little one sitting all too comfortably at the foot of the TV? Yes, so many forces seem to hinder--time, pride, fear, and not least of all that confusing HTML stuff.

But as worries wage and fears press hard, I know that I must; as Ann speaks of her own daily Holy Experience, there is no other cure for fear than to practice gratitude in the present moment.

So I will begin simple, small, letting go of the desire for normal, or perhaps perfection, to arrive before I begin.

Instead I will choose to see the perfect in the normal.

1. First-ever freshly picked dandelions--pretties--held in the chubby hands of a toddler.

2. The gift of being available. What else to do when no bus arrives?

3. Moments, few as they are, to think and defog before all wake.

4. Freckles that multiply with long spring days.

5. A simple yes that brings surprising gratitude, even at the cost of only 64 cents.

6. A determined spirit that far surpasses the fears of his mother.

7. A rare day on the calendar, still mostly white.

8. The wheels that faithfully take us here and there, despite the too-soon rumbles and rattles.

9. Delighted squeals calling, "My Daddy!" each day as hinges creak open and the Daddy love that brings such delight.

10. Learning. Letting go. A little more each day.



holy experience