Outside my window, I watch a doe with twin fawns. Mom is standing guard, and the twins are bouncing, jumping, and running. Adorable.

Lucy is snuggled on a fuzzy pillow, and I have my second cup of Starbucks Christmas Blend (yes, Christmas in July) coffee.

Good energy seems to be in the air, and right now, life is good.

I recall a quote by author and speaker Dennis Prager, who wrote:  “Happiness is impossible without gratitude”. Doesn’t that seem real—accurate?

I then thought of my oldest sister, Marva, whose family helped her move into a nursing home yesterday. What a difficult day. Marva and I had once had helped each other get our parents safely into Devonshire nursing home. We had shaved our youngest sister, Patty’s, long, dark hair because of her cancer and chemotherapy. We held each other when Patty died, and together found a group home for our sister, Zella, when she was no longer able to walk or live alone.

Just the memories affect my breathing and make tears well up behind my eyes.

I am truly grateful to Marva’s family caring for and loving her because I didn’t have it in me to be there. I was grateful they didn’t ask, because I would have had to say no. I wouldn’t have been much help.

I’m not sure what enables any of us to shift from grief, fear, or disappointment to gratitude, but I consider it a gift. Grief can be debilitating, and memories of difficult times can be relentless in hanging on and taunting us, especially on sleepless nights.

Is it a skill? An inherited trait? Practice? Consciousness? A decision? A combination of all?

For me, it’s survival. I shift so I can enjoy the moment or what is possible in the future. I also believe, because I have experienced it, bad isn’t all bad—it comes with the ability to recover or thrive, the sweet memories I retain after the trauma passes, and strong connections built with people who shared the painful events—those who were there, who saw the same fear and felt the same helplessness.

I didn’t originate the quote, “Happiness is impossible without gratitude”, but it’s true for me.

Gratitude generates gratitude. If I’m thankful for being able to walk Lucy, I gain the rewards of enjoying nature, greeting a friend along the way, and feeling rejuvenated when we get home.

If I don’t start out grateful, I can grumble about the sidewalks needing repair, groan when someone interferes with my audiobook, and complain about my sore body when I get home.

Feeling grateful gave me the joy of seeing the mama and babies this morning.

Gratitude = Happiness: Good motto for mental health. Gratitude is for us to find, and happiness is our reward.

Until the next time: Live while you live