Having gratitude in all things

Last Sunday our meeting was centered around the topic of gratitude. The talks were amazing and ever since Sunday I have been thinking about what was said and really trying to focus on the blessings I enjoy every day.

When I was in high school, my sister Debbie was diagnosed with Scleroderma, a disease that was terminal. I can only imagine the feelings that she must have felt, knowing that the Dr. would do all they could, but in the end there was no cure. I remember finding it hard to feel grateful as I watched this disease take over my sister's body. It is sometimes easy to focus on the one thing that is negative or hard to understand instead of opening your eyes and seeing all of the millions of other things surrounding us that we can still be grateful for. That is exactly what Deb did. She had a gratitude journal that she would write in every night. I never really read it, but after she passed away my sister Jo made a copy of it and sent it to me for Christmas while I was on my mission. I remember reading it and feeling so overwhelmed as I read about all the little things that we all take for granted that meant so much to her.

She had beautiful handwriting and as her disease progressed she had a hard time using her hands....but in one entry she said that she was grateful that she could still hold a pen.

She was grateful for her little boy Brian, and even though she couldn't hold him very well, she was grateful that she could look at him and watch him play on the floor.

This journal went on and on for the 3 years. She found gratitude in everything, even though everything else seemed discouraging around her. I always think about how she handled things and how easy it would have been to become angry or depressed, but I think having gratitude in her heart helped her get through the hard times and realize the important things in life.

I read an awesome talk by Pres. Faust. He said, "A thankful heart opens our eyes to a multitude of blessings that continually surround us. A grateful heart is a beginning of greatness, an expression of humility, a foundation upon which are built virtues as prayer, faith, courage, contentment, happiness and love. People are happier when they have gratitude in their hearts."

I love that! I think it's so true! For me, If I can think about all the good in my life, the blessings that are all around me, then the hard, overwhelming things in my life don't seem like such a big deal. There is just too much to be grateful for!

I also loved a talk that Pres. Monson gave a number of years back & in it he quoted a poem. I wrote down what he said and have kept it for years. Here is just a bit of it.

"Accentuate the POSITIVE

Eliminate the NEGATIVE"

Life is so much more enjoyable when we get rid of the negative thoughts, feelings...whatever it may be.

When I was little, whenever any of us would complain or whine, (which I can only imagine with 9 kids it was frequent...I know I hear my share with only 3 kids. :)...) , my mom would always bust out in song...

Count your many blessings, name them one by one....