Day 17,340 Gratitude: The Only Way Through It is Through It

With four days left in March, I can't say it's a month I'm gonna miss once it's gone.  I'm not fond of rollercoasters ... with "not fond" meaning "terrified."  But I've found myself strapped into one this month nonetheless.  Round and round, up and down I go.  The only thing left to do is surrender.

When the sky has gone bruised and the wind has blown cold, mercy finds us.  Somehow, someway, everything is going to be okay.  Through the grime and wired windows on and over each of our souls, the love and light will always make itself known and it's way through.  For this I am so grateful.

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Day 17,332 Gratitude: Worth Your While

Today I am grateful to have made and mailed the postcard above for this fun and worthwhile project.

I am also grateful to help Jane repair her studio by buying a few 4x4 original artworks.

I confess that I am a wholehearted sucker for a good cause.  Likewise for those who bravely step forward and up to ask for help ... and then put their gifts and talents behind it.  All the better when our assistance comes in kind.  It's about so much more than money.  It's about sharing and celebrating abundance.

I would love to see more "craftroots" fundraising of this sort.  We're all in this together.  Creatively.  Artistically.  For this I am so grateful.

Day 17,326 Gratitude: Brave

I tried to get a photo of Tansy, our brave white cat, fleetingly at the back door watching the spring-fevered birds.  She is so shy, so skittish, and yet so very curious.  It takes courage for her to slink into the living room with its unexpected sounds and unpredictable dog.  Like a ghost, she's there, then gone.

Instead I've got a photo of the morning light shining into our dining room.  It's a rare angle of the rising sun that allows for this.  I think it is meant to beckon me back to the table, where I have stacked inspirational books and gathered art supplies.

It can take a lot of bravery to show up.  When scared off by the unexpected and unpredictable, it can take a lot of bravery to come back.  For knowing this and mustering such, I am so very grateful.

Day 17,318 Gratitude: Last Week/This Week

I found out last week that I wasn't selected for a position to which I'd applied back in November.  The application process was grueling.  The interview process was daunting.  If truth be told, I wasn't entirely certain that I really wanted the position or would be the best person for it, but I pushed myself forward on the assumption that it was merely fear feeding my doubts.  When I got called with the decision, I must admit that my initial reaction was relief.  It might've been a great opportunity and the higher salary would've been helpful in light of college expenses, but the Universe confirmed what I had suspected.  The job wasn't the right fit for me.

I found out this week that a co-worker/friend died after an inconceivably sudden illness and the devastating complications from such.  She was just 44 years old and leaves behind a heartbroken and bewildered husband and two young children.  With her, we were a small but mighty team of six, but now the remaining five of us are deeply grieving and profoundly lost in her absence.  I just can't help but welcome another wave of relief knowing that I didn't have to tell them last week that I was leaving for a new job.  I am grateful to be able to support my colleagues in and through this.