I am not a morning person.
I have never been the type to jump out of bed happy, cheerful, grateful and ready to start my day. It takes me a good 2-3 snoozes to drag myself out of bed. I prefer not to speak for at least the first 30 min to an hour. My sweet husband oh so kindly always brings me my first cup of coffee or a Spark. I begrudgingly help with the morning routine of getting everyone ready and out the door (but I can’t deny that my husband does a good 75% of it.) I drive to work sipping my caffeine of choice for the day and my coworkers are well aware that friendly conversation is something I’m not good at until at least 9 am.
I read all of the blogs, articles and posts that talk about establishing a morning routine and making time for yourself, meditation, journaling, bible study etc. to start your morning off right. Yall, I’m telling you right now, if I start the morning off with a bible study then I will be asleep again in 10 min. It’s just who I am and I’ve come to accept that. I need time in the mornings to jumpstart my brain and body for the day. Once I’ve accomplished this I am good to go! I can honestly say that I do not START my day being grateful, but I do always END my day with gratefulness. Mornings don’t work for me, but they most certainly will work for others.
How you end or start the day is crucial to being present and mindful. I KNOW all you momma’s out there know the importance of being present and mindful. Can we agree on something? As much as our littles drive us insane, cause us to want to pull our hair out and down a bottle of wine. As much as we wish with all our hearts on some occasions that they would just grow up already…..we miss them the second they are gone. We think about them every second that we aren’t with them. We cherish their squeaky little voices and dimpled hands. We yearn to be present and mindful in this current season of their lives.
This life isn’t easy. In the hustle and bustle of the day to day, 6 am to 10 pm (yes my husband and I do try to get to bed by 10 pm… see “I am not a morning person” above) every hour is accounted for. However you prefer to do it, morning or night…. always try and think of at least 3 things you were grateful for that day. I cannot tell you how powerful this is to starting (or ending) your day on a positive note. It’s like a breath of fresh air and renewed perspective. Despite the negative of the day (or day before) and despite what trials you are facing, really making a ritual of listing out the things that you are grateful for can be very rewarding. It is so important to untangle that mess of a day and really lay it out before you. Find the good, focus on the positive, breath it in and really cherish it.
I am beyond grateful to be a mom. If the rest of my world seems like its falling apart, I am grateful to have been handed the opportunity to raise two little girls to be respectful, God fearing, patriotic, kind, smart, funny, little girls. Life has not always been easy in our family. We have been through great heartache, turmoil, stress, difficult financial times, and difficulties with work, friends, and family. At the end of the day I go to bed really cherishing and being grateful to be a wife, and a mom, a daughter and a sister, a friend and confidant. I am grateful to go to bed with a roof over my head, a job, a car to drive, and just generally to have been given a good, pleasing and lovely life.
Not everyone has these things. It is so easy to over focus on the details that you miss the bigger picture when you are constantly micromanaging every moment. Life is a beautiful journey that I can honestly say, even in the most difficult times, paints a complete picture already created for you.
A grateful perspective feeds emotional contentment. There are days where I struggle, like really struggle, to think of something specific I can be grateful for. The things I always return to on these days are my kids, my family, my church, men and women who are willing to die and fight for this countries freedom and a loving, forgiving God.
A grateful perspective on an imperfect life is a gift. I promise it’s there if you look hard enough.
