Being Thankful Even When Nothing Wonderful Happens

I sat down to write this blog three, maybe four times. I'm a procrastinator by nature, and I'm perfectly well aware when I am stalling. Usually, the first clue is if I actually spend time to update my computer or clean out my old emails. These, along with balancing my checkbook and re-organizing the tupperware cabinet, are tell-tale signs I'm not ready to write.

For me, writing is like a form of meditation. It forces me to sit still, quiet my mind and focus on the words before me as they string together to form sentences. When I write, I take deep breaths, I slow down, I stop for a moment to think about the world around me. The only other time I feel peace like this is when I step onto a basketball court. For me, writing and basketball are my two forms of meditation.

Now the inherent problem with this blogging schtick is that I feel I need to have something important to say - something that will change my world view, or someone else's. I know, I know, what can I say, I'm relatively new to this blogging thing and still learning.

I was in the car today driving over the Tappan Zee Bridge, as I do nearly every day, and I was struck by a simple thought: not every day is magnificent. Most everyone else has probably figured this one out. I'm a late bloomer, I guess. When I was small, I thought every day would be magnificent. I thought that way because as a child, nearly every one of my days was, in fact, amazing. Maybe because of that, I was hard-wired to expect greatness every single day.

But as I get older, I realize that living life isn't about expecting every moment to be one for the record books. It's about finding one small thing in a day that might be ordinary, but is beautiful nonetheless. And I am reminded that I should thank my parents more for raising me well. I should tell them how beautiful my childhood was for me, and thank them for giving me that extraordinary gift.

I must also remind myself that I will not be perfect every day. For as long as I can remember, I have been harder on myself than anyone else could possibly be. So today when I drove over the Tappan Zee Bridge frustrated about all the things on my To-Do List that had not been completed (and it was already past noon), I noticed the way the sunlight reflected off the ice on the Hudson River, and I told myself to lighten up.

The truth is, there are some days when nothing wonderful happens. While there are times when I fear that mediocrity will eat me alive, and if I have to spend one more minute on the phone with the cable company or the cell phone company or a bank's automated system I might just lose it completely, I know now that life isn't just about doing great things. It's about being thankful even when nothing wonderful happens.

I am so very thankful for all of my blessings...

Now onto that To-Do List.