Gratitude

I am full of gratitude these days.

• for having had the courage a year ago to undertake a completely new chapter that I knew had the potential to change my life in every way possible
• for realizing the beauty in both my strength and in my weakness
• for accepting in a real way all the painful and hurtful things that I have done and that others have done to me
  
• for taking the time to notice the beauty in the everyday and even in the ugly
• for being able to step back and notice the blessings in my life that I would not have were it not for the support of family, friends, dogs, and especially my husband
• for allowing myself to sit in the moment and not think too hard about the future or dwell on the past
• for the ability in every moment to choose love over fear no matter the situation
  
• for finding ways to bring my actions in line with my thoughts and beliefs about the world
  
• for choosing healthful ways to live my life and also allow myself to slip a little
• for the big things: a car, my scooter, my house, my job, my health
  
• for my dogs, for my husband, for my friends, and for my family, blood and in-law, who all love and accept me no matter what I choose to do
  
• for the little things: the lines around my eyes and on my forehead, which remind me of laughter and fun times in the sun; for the tiny broken veins on my thighs, which remind me of my mother who is not with me in her own body but lives on in mine; for the callouses on the tops and bottoms of my feet from rolling over my toes from Chaturanga Dandasana to Urdhva Mukha Svanasana; for the little squishy parts of me around my hips and rear, which remind me I'm a woman; for the definition in my arms, which reminds me that I can hold myself steady even though it's hard sometimes; and for the little sprouting grey hairs I allow to show not often enough, which remind me now that in my mid-thirties with all my flaws and baggage and highs and lows, I am happier now than I have ever been... and for that I have the most gratitude.