gratitude

When I started my Simple Joys Journal, little did I know that it would bring me to a journey...my Gratitude Journey. This journey has made me notice and has filled me with fascination and thanksgiving for the simplest, littlest, and most commonplace of things like my hot coffee, these strong legs to carry me along that long walk from the parking lot or the MRT, that small serving of tuyo and kangkong, a good laugh, a migrain-free day, clothes-full closet, music, my dog, a 3-day sale ;)

(You may have noticed that family and friends are not among my list. Well, for me they’re never simple or little or commonplace. They’re the biggest of all my blessings)


No matter the weather, as soon as I wake up, even with my eyes still half closed, I summon up a smile and greet the day with a joyful "Good morning, God!" I thought it a good way to start the day with a festive note...actually, now, with festive musical notes - do,do,do,la,sol,sol - as my yaya sings "Good morning sa inyo!" to the tune of Nescafe's Sweet and Mild ad. It has been a house rule since many years back that as soon as we wake up, everybody in the house, including the yayas, greet every one else a loud and cheerful "Good morning!" But, lately, I've taken it one level up - I asked my yaya to sing her morning greeting. "Good morning sa inyo! Sweet and mild and kasama ko. Tamis ng umaga..." I tell you, waking up even in the early hours of the morning has never been this much fun!

The shower is a good place as any to continue thanking God for protection during the night, a restful sleep, a cool shower, a fresh breath of life, and a new day of sunshine...or rains.

I usually get in the office real early. With the lights still out, I relish the semi darkness of the room and the silence as I offer a thanksgiving for the work ahead of me, for the blessings yet to come, the people I would come across and the challenges awaiting to be faced.

One particular morning, as I stood by a window/glass door looking out in wonder and gratitude at God's creation, I thought of how I wished my mom was around so I could give her a bear hug and a loud thank you.

Then as I went back to my desk and logged on to the net, I came across this timely quote about how people in our lives come and go and how we should never miss the opportunity to tell them how they mean to us. So I did. Prodded to act by this message, I texted my sister "love you back" in response to the many, many "I love you's" she has said and sent out. And I sent text or e-mail messages to friends and family and mentors my thanks for being such great friends AND family AND mentors.

No one was more surprised by what I did than me. I have never been one to express what others may call "cheesy emo lines". So this was more than an act of gratitude...it was an act of courage as well. And friends knew that. My friend, Yang, even voiced out her concern. She texted: "Uy, nakakanerbyos naman message mo. Kita tayo!"

Awww! Wasn't that just sweet? Funny...but sweet.

No my prends, am not being ominous. This is me taking on a journey...a Gratitude Journey.


P.S. If you didn't receive a text or e-mail gratitude message, please forgive my oversight. If you're reading this, then you should have received it for you have made my life meaningful or fun and easy (or hard and challenging) and am grateful for your presence in my life. Thank you!