remembering what went right

knee deep in life at home with children, the days often feel too full.  the demands on my time and attention can feel too heavy.  on days like these, a child who balks at math lessons or one who won’t eat the dinner that i’ve prepared can hold an outsized ability to color how i perceive my day.  practicing gratitude can act as a counterbalance to such days.

you might be familiar with Ann Voskamp’s beautiful book One Thousand Gifts.  i haven’t taken the plunge to count my blessings on such a grand scale, but i do use a lovely printable from Ann’s blog A Holy Experience.  it’s pretty + folds up into a tiny book that tucks happily into my journal or bag.  i love unfolding it and making note of the small, bright moments that fill my day.

earlier this year we read Sleeping with Bread.  it’s a simple look at the Ignatian Examen.  we’ve started doing a daily examen with the children each night before bed.  we each say something that we are thankful for, a place where we’ve seen God that day.

Caryll Houselander says that “every ordinary thing in your life is a word of God’s kindness to you.” having eyes to see the ordinary gifts of our day can wake us up to just how much goes right…even on the hardest days.