unconditional gratitude

hi.

thanks for stopping by.  (please don't go yet, i just wanted to be grateful to start!)

we all have something to be grateful for, right?  i know sometimes it's really hard to come up with something to say, but if we think hard enough, there's always something.  even if it's little.

a long time ago (at least it seems like a long time ago) i was on a missions trip to Ecuador.  it was awesome.  but one of the days i was getting ready to serve, i wasn't feeling so great.  like, i just didn't want to be there/ going where we were going/ doing what we were going to do.  but see, that just wasn't going to fly.

i knew i had to think of something to be grateful for...  because when you're thankful for something it changes your whole attitude.

so i asked the people sitting next to me in the van (people i knew btw) to "play a game" with me.  in turn, we would name off things we were grateful for.  in no order of importance or anything fancy like that.  nothing was too small to mention.

we mentioned the food, the weather, our families, the van, the air we were breathing, our friends, etc etc etc.

it changed my attitude.  and when we got out, the rest of the people in the van (who had been talking amongst themselves, but stopped to listen to us) they were thankful too.  we had a great day that day.

(yes, i have a point, bear with me!)

then i did this again with an entirely different group of friends, in an entirely different place, with an entirely different purpose.  we took turns saying out loud what we were thankful for.

it didn't matter what we said (some of it was 'silly').

we still ended up thankful and grateful and just a little bit happier because of it.

so...

today, i want to share a card i made for a friend.  i was seriously blown away by something she did for me.  i couldn't stop thinking about how awesome it was, what she did... so i made a card and sent it off to her.  

i used sassafras lass paper, a pebbles flower, some turquoise and ruler washi tape, melody ross chipboard sentiments, and a fun inkable flower.

something bright to thank someone who brightened my day.

ya know?

so, what about you guys?  got some gratitude going on?

here's a quick list from me before i head out for the day...

1. friends. the kind that text, the kind that call, the kind that leave Facebook messages on your wall (hey, that rhymed!)
2. the Olympics and my favorite sport, water polo... i am having so much fun watching it!
3. brothers and sister that make me laugh.  ALL.THE.TIME.
4. nail polish (*smiles sheepishly*)

there you go.  your turn!  i'm serious, it helps your day :D

thanks for stopping by, xoxo