January is a month full of reflections, inspiration and resolutions. What better time to resolve to getting back on track with my 52 Week of Gratefulness than right now?
Gratefulness
No life is more fulfilling than a grateful life. Waking up each morning with one or two thoughts on things I am grateful for always makes it a great day.
So documenting gratefulness each week is a fantastic exercise and I was loving it when I started my challenge. But, travels and holiday chaos through me completely off track. Life does that and its okay. I am giving myself a free pass this time. And, I will be picking up where I left off and I would LOVE for you to join me.
Join Me in my 52 Week Gratitude Challenge
Health
I have so many reasons close to my heart to be grateful for in regards to health. Life has forced me to look deeply into what a gift our health truly is.
Losing a Loved One
We lost my husbands mother to ALS 10 years ago this month. Diana was an amazing, happy, brave and compassionate woman and her life was tragically cut short from a disease which has no cure. Watching her lose the battle was one of the hardest battles I have ever witnessed. Realizing that the ability to stand up and walk everyday, use our hands, be able to feed and change ourselves. Speak to our loved ones… the list goes on and on.
Just waking up in a healthy body each morning is something to be grateful for.
Adoption
Adoption has taught me many life lessons. One is to be grateful we have the necessary resources to take care of our health. My son Shea is from Ethiopia and we have traveled twice to that gorgeous country but its not for the faint of heart. I have been hugged by mothers who have buried multiple children from diseases and sicknesses easily cured in the US. I have seen children crippled by childhood injuries because there is no doctor to stitch a deep cut or put a cast on a broken limb. These are struggles I don’t face and for that I am grateful. Read more about the health crisis in Ethiopia here.
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My daughter Olivia was born right here in the U.S. but her birth family is a victim of poverty as well. Although, our country does have some amazing resources to help families in need; I will never forget listening to her birth mother talk about health. She was so happy to give her daughter a better life by placing her for adoption. Many reasons I anticipated: better education, life in a safer community, big family to love on her. Although, I wasn’t prepared for her to be excited about what Olivia would be able to eat.
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She explained that her food stamps could fill up the cart easily when she purchases unhealthy, packaged food (junk food) but they would not have enough to eat if she purchased fresh fruits and vegetables because they were too expensive. It was like a light bulb went off. We don’t have a food shortage here in America but the way our system is set up we are creating this obesity problem among our lower income families. You can read more about the relationship with poverty and obesity here.
So, this week each day when I wake I will be grateful for my health. I will realize that health is a gift and the ability to access a robust health care system is something to be appreciated. As well is the luxury to provide healthy food for my family.
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Join me! Start living a life of gratitude today!
Leave me a comment and let me know you are starting the challenge so I can follow your journey and cheer you on!!
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I am so sorry to hear about your mother in law. It breaks my heart to hear that. It’s so easy to take your health for granted when you’re blessed to be in great shape. Gratitude is something I practice regularly and it have truly transformed my life. Best wishes to you in 2016!
Thank you Heather!!!
The food crisis in America is a topic near and dear to me. It is incredibly sad that veggies are more expensive than mac and cheese, when it is clear that the latter is much more intensive and hard to produce. We struggle with this on a personal level, and we are lucky enough to be able to choose health over expense in most cases.
I can’t imagine what a struggle it would be if we truly couldn’t choose to eat healthy. Thank you for visiting my blog. I’m looking forward to following along with your journey!