Gratitude

Lately, it's been all too easy to feel ungrateful.  It's the end of the semester, I've had so many "problem" students, my allergies are absolutely killing me, and you still have trouble getting through a week of school without getting sick.  Yesterday afternoon, in a rather foul mood, I attended a funeral of a colleague's husband.  This young man, who was only 32 and died of head and neck cancer, fought as hard as he could, smiled as much as he could.  According to the priest, one of his last prayers was for "happiness."

I haven't been able to stop thinking about him, about his family, about his two young children left without a dad, about the way that he could ask for happiness at such a devastating time in his young life.  It's too easy to look at the negatives: to see everything wrong instead of cherishing everything that's right.  So in memory of Mike Lonon, and also because this is a lesson I would like for you to learn, I'm going to be posting short things, words or pictures, every day, of something I'm grateful for.

I'll start today with your daddy, my amazing husband, Ben.  I'm grateful that he drives you to school every morning (and gets up at 5 to do so!), that he never complains about our often uncreative food options when I'm working, that he lets me sleep in on Saturdays and wakes me up with hugs from both him and you, that he took you to lunch today so that I could work.  Speaking of which, I should stop procrastinating and do that.  But I wanted to start this today, and I can't think of anything better to start with.  I would be lost without my husband, my best friend, and I feel such pain when I think of my colleague losing hers.  God bless you, Mike, and may you find happiness in the arms of your heavenly Father.