My Grateful Workout

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I read a report recently regarding the positive effects of gratitude. Research is finding a link between gratitude and not only our emotions but our physical well being. Since strokes and heart attacks are in my genetic background, I’ll take any edge that I can, especially when it doesn’t involve running. Apparently those that are more grateful also tend to exercise more, even though the cause and effect is difficult to prove. To get me started on my ‘grateful workout’, I thought I would list out five things that I’m thankful for. You may have guessed already that running will not make my list.

1. Of course, all well written gratitude lists always begin with family. Mine is no different. I have a husband that loves me in spite of my body having curves in all the wrong places. Every once in a while, I tell him that I was curvy in all the right places when I was young…you know…before he knew me. I’m not sure what I’m trying to accomplish with those comments. It would be like dating someone that used to be rich…you’d always wonder what it was like flying first class. My husband, however, continues to look at me like I’m my curvy 20-year-old self. I’m sure part of that is his eyesight going, but I don’t care. He makes me feel beautiful and that is a gift when you’re 55, wrongly curved and spotted from basal cell removal.
2. My sons are also forgiving of my weaknesses and praising of my strengths. I was a workaholic who put way to much emphasis on my job when they were growing up. I mixed up the date of a meeting for my youngest son that prevented him from taking part in a program that all of his friends were in. I didn’t make it to every game or track meet. I suffered from depression at different points and couldn’t go in to see my middle sons senior prom pictures being taken because I had been crying for two days. I was a big hot mess when my oldest son was little. If you ask my boys, however, they will talk about how much love they felt when they were growing up. They overlook my failing moments as a parent and instead, focus on those times that we were all there for each other. Not a perfect family…but a very loving family.
3. I am surrounded by friends who truly care for me and make me better. These are the “We are going to the beach…you are NOT wearing jeans!” kind of friends, the “please call me when you’re ever feeling that way again, because I can’t imagine you not being here,” kind of friends, and the “do you have time for coffee? I just need to talk,” kind of friends. They are the kind of friends that you call when your house catches fire at 4am and needs to air out before you can go back in so they go to Denny’s with you and your family. They are the kind of friends that believe in you even when you don’t believe in yourself. From what I see in the world, I’m not sure that everyone has those kind of friends. I’m very fortunate.
4. I believe that someone watches out for me and those around me. I believe that there is a higher power, a creator and a grand design. I’m grateful for that since my belief has carried me through some pretty overwhelming situations and brought me peace when nothing else did. I was raised in a church but my 20’s took a tole on my faith. I took my curvy 20-year-old self out looking for love in all the wrong places. By the time I realized that my way was not working out so well, I was going through a divorce, pregnant and single-parenting 2 toddlers. My favorite verse is 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. This verse has helped me find meaning in many hardships and I’ve been able to see it at work in not only myself, but others.
   • Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 
5. I’ve been able to see people grow and change. I’ve been a nurse for 23 years and a teacher for 17 years. I’ve watched my faculty pick up our students in a hopeless situation when our school closed, and not skip a beat in restarting their education. I’ve seen students that had never been told that they were good at something, suddenly blossom when they realized that they loved healthcare. I’ve been able to be a part of something that truly made a difference for our students and faculty, and the effects will have a ripple effect. All of our baby nurses that would have been one to two years behind in their education, will have their own chance to make a difference with their patients earlier than they would have. And that is a gift to all of us.

So there you go – five things I’m grateful for and I feel like I’ve just scratched the surface. This may need to be a weekly post.

I’ll let you know if I suddenly feel the desire to exercise this week.