Gratitude

My sister is grateful, every day this Lent. For example, every morning, when she wakes up (to HER alarm, usually an hour after she is woken up by my alarm, and spends that hour cursing me ... sigh ...) she is grateful that she has functioning hearing to hear her alarm, and functioning sight to see her alarm. She is grateful that she lives in Canada, and has a job. She is grateful for freedom to choose what to do with her future, and I am sure she is grateful for her family, too.

I have spent the last few days fairly depressed, stressed, and doubtful, but there have been daily things for me to be grateful about, too. Maybe her idea is pretty good. So, yesterday I saw a cardinal, right there in front of me on a branch above the sidewalk. I am very grateful for that. He was beautiful! I am also grateful for spending the day with my Mother on Thursday.

I do not know that I am grateful for not having a job, but I am sure I could spin it that way for now, too, if I worked at it. I am grateful, at least, that I live at home, and my family is willing to help me out when I need it, but also that I have enough money for now from my savings that I can keep going on my own steam. So I am grateful that I am not a big spender at the best of times, so that in the not-so-good times I am still at least okay for cash.