Gratitude: November 3

Well, I hit my roadblock already at day 3. Yesterday was my day off from work and I was extremely excited to set up my sewing space in the upstairs of our house so that I can leave it out at all times and sit down whenever I have a minute or two. I felt okay in the morning, but at about lunchtime I came down with a debilitating headache. These have been happening to me more and more frequently lately, so sugar and grains are definitely off the table for a little while at our house. Thanksgiving and Christmas are coming, so a little reprieve beforehand is not a bad thing.

The headache was really an awful one, the kind where you can't even really close your eyes or watch anything to pass the time. I started to have a small pity party because I was so excited about getting my sewing room set up (the holidays are coming!) and this really threw a wrench into all of my plans.

After awhile I remembered that I am working on being more grateful this month, so I started to try to see the good in the day instead of the bad. I didn't take any photos yesterday, due to the headache, but I did start to see.

I saw my cute little cat sensing I didn't feel well. He continued to check on me, to keep fairly quiet, and came to sit with me several times. Last night, while drinking some tea he really cracked me up because he tried to climb into my teacup. I later realized that the tea had catnip in it. So, I'm grateful for my cat because his warmth was a balm for my soul and his antics gave me a laugh when I truly needed something to take my mind off my frustration.

I looked out my window and I saw leaves blowing in the wind. I heard the crunch of the leaves as the mail carrier dropped letters into the box. I felt the love of my husband texting me. I was grateful that I have an iPad so that I could turn on music or a show without having to get up and down because movement made my head hurt worse. I was thankful for hot water and a shower to ease the tension in my neck. I was thankful for a husband who came home, cooked dinner, and gave me a back massage to try to ease the pain.

While the day wasn't full of sheer joy, I still managed to be grateful for the little things. I didn't end the day in exasperation or frustration, but instead with a sense of thankfulness for the blessings in the midst of the ugly. It is a small thing, but it is a start.