At Least….

I am grateful for lessons I learn every day!????????
I am grateful for lessons I learn from the young and the seasoned ❤
I am grateful for “At least….”????
I am grateful for family!????
I am grateful for life-long, life-changing sister-friends????????
I am grateful for you!????
One of my nephews would spend part of the summer with me when he was little.  He was just a year older than my oldest.  The four of them were aged like a step ladder.
It always amazed me how grateful he was for everything.  I knew it had to do with how he was being raised and also just the type of person he was even at 5, 6, and 7 years old.
If my kids were disappointed because we were not going to McDonald’s, my young nephew would say, “At least we have food to eat!”
If my children complained because they were not going to the park, he would remind them, “At least we can go outside and play.”
He was constantly doing that, which was amazing to me.  And my children always took a moment to pause, because they knew this was wisdom coming from their cousin who was not a grown-up.  I think they may have felt a little betrayal too.????
It was also a lesson for me.  There was always drama around when I was growing up, and I quite frankly addicted to it.  I liked the attention.
So somewhere along my developmental line, I learned to focus on all the things that were happening that were offensive, rude, unkind, or just different.  If it wasn’t the way I thought it should be, it was wrong.
I had opinions about everything and expressed them whether you wanted to hear them or not.
I thought my mom was annoying because she was too nice.  She ignored so much bad behavior, I considered her weak.  It wasn’t until I was married with my own children that I realized how strong she actually was.
As a wife and mother with three little ones, we lived in Cincinnati for a few years.  An energetic young mom, Judi, who became a life-long friend, helped me with my perspective in a major way.
Just being around her challenged me to elevate my game.  Her energy was always on point.  Something as simple as doing laundry, which at the time I loathed, she looked at as simply something that had to be done, so why dread it.
She helped me to shift my way of thinking.  I realized that I complained and was critical of others because I was critical about myself.  I NEVER had nice things to say in my inner thoughts to myself.  Looking back, it was self-inflicted verbal abuse.  “Dummy.” “So stupid.”  A constant mental critic went on inside my head just matter of factly.
I shifted the way I would talk to myself.  I began speaking to myself the way I would encourage my children.  “Slow down, baby”,  if I spilled something on the floor.  “You’ll do better next time”, when I made a mistake.
I also started a gratitude journal.  I would thank God as I went through the day.  I always had manners.  That was instilled in us early.  So, once I began to think about all that God has done and is doing, and will do, it was easy for me to thank him throughout the day.
It’s so ingrained in me now, I can’t look at a leaf without thanking Him.  I thank God every day I wake up.
When I fell and broke my ankle, I thanked him for protecting me from a head injury.  I thanked him for keeping me from having surgery.  I thanked him in advance for the healing I knew he was going to do.
Whereas, if this had happened before, I would have spent months, maybe years beating myself up for not paying attention and falling in the first place.
This time I low-key beat myself up for a few days before I got my mind right.  Then the thoughts shifted to, “Well, you have to slow down now, Shannon.”
And, “LORD, how are you going to use me in this situation?”
And, “You know all that I am trying to do right now.  I trust that you will help me figure it out, because I can’t without you.”
If you want to enjoy this season, and the months to come, shift your thinking to what you have to be thankful for so help emmensely!????
Take a lesson from my little nephew by beginning your sentences with, “At least…. and fill in the blank.”❤