Gratitude 2.0

Last week, on one of my days off, I took a little extra time to journal all I was grateful for, I’d listed my health, my family, friends, having a meaningful job to do and our church family when I heard a huge bang, followed by a sizzle and then we lost all power.

Suddenly, there I was with no lights, no air, no ceiling fan (it was still hot in Texas last week), no computer or internet and no hot coffee in the coffee pot.  It was time to re-group.  I decided it would be a great time to get a few things done off the to-do list.  Laundry? No, you need power for that.  Shower? A shower was possible but how do you do make up in the dark or hair without a blow dryer or curling iron? I could catch up on emails. Not without power.  Maybe I should just run errands, I thought.  No, wait, can’t even get out of the garage without my electric door opener.  Yes, I know there’s a way to do it manually but it was pitch black in the garage with no power so I gave up.

So, by default, I headed to the back patio with my journal and re-visited the gratitude list.  There, I realized my gratitude had not gone deep enough.  I needed to take it to a whole new level.  I had not even thought about all the basics and amenities I enjoy every day like electricity, lights and power or for that matter clean, running hot and cold water or that I have plenty of food in the pantry, freezer and refrigerator.  I had not thought to list our home and all the comforts I enjoy here.

When I was going through the hardest part of cancer treatment three years ago, one of the ways I coped was by trying to stay in the moment and by listing daily all I had to be grateful for.  Last week’s power outage reminded me again how important gratitude is.  I just need to regularly take it to the next level.