November to Remember: A change of heart

While I sat aloofly typing away my thankfulness on the first day of blogging on the topic, I began to have quiet thoughts to myself. The night previous, I had a spat with my beloved and was still smarting from not seemingly have won. (I know, he's on my team, this is not a competition; this part of life is NEW to me!)I was still in a funk.

How was I going to tell my precious husband about my new fabulous blog idea (however borrowed), when my heart and feelings were not at all feeling particularly grateful? How was I going to lead the developing questions around the family dining table, when I was being short and succinct with my own thoughts?

It was then that I remembered something about an activity that often changes my heart. I find that after a particularly wonderful stay with friends, dinner with family, or receiving thoughtful gifts, I really enjoy writing thank you notes. I have noticed that once the stamp and address are in place, the pen flowing with ink starts to gush my sentiments towards the giver, casting a glow on them and in an act of reciprocity, somehow causes a glow within me: appreciation, thankfulness, abundance.

So, meanwhile back at the homeplace, I gave myself an assignment: write a month of thank-you's to my husband. It might help my own recovery and actually dampen the effect of a spat, perhaps even ward off future spats. I didn't know, but I did know that I wanted to be in a better mood by the time my truest got out of the mountains and arrived at the threshold (I'm having to practice maturity, I'll admit).

Lo and behold if I didn't discover, as I made a little flip calendar out of spiral notecards and fall stickers, that it was our one month anniversary. We had made it 30days! Instantly I was in a better mood, smiling that I had an occassion to open a bottle of wine for dinner. In that more pleasant state, I found 30 things that I'm very thankful my husband possesses from communication skills to an ethical code; from a strong faith to great kisses. Indeed, by the time I finished the project, I was happy inside and anxious to see him arrive.

It takes discipline, sometimes, to take myself from one place to another emotionally, but it's important, especially if I'm to be a good role model for the children. This is a good lesson and practice and one I'm thankful for today.