THANKFUL FRIDAY
Cindy Maddera
See this Instagram photo by @elephant_soap
Considering that I am writing this on Thursday and Thursday got here surprisingly fast, that in itself should be something I'm grateful for this week. Except that's not something high on my gratitude list. I am surprised by the speed at which time passed this week. I had good intentions. I had plans to write more and post things that are not sad or deal with the ashes of my dead husband. I wrote a whole paragraph about my crazy dreams that have been inspired from my TV watching and then I couldn't come up with an ending so I deleted it. I had plans to get on my yoga mat more this week. My practice got a little derailed during all the travel and I haven't really gotten back into a routine. I even skipped yoga class Wednesday night so I could get home to let the dog out of her crate.
Samuel Johnson said "Hell is paved with good intentions." I suppose that Hell has a very advanced highway system and plenty of sidewalks by now. I know that plenty of us start off our days and weeks with the very best of intentions. Some of us have very long, complicated lists of intentions. I know that I tend to be that kind of person and so when I reach the end of a week where I've done very little on my complicated list of intentions, I feel like a bit of a failure. I forget to recognize the simple things that were good that I did unintentionally. I skipped yoga class on Wednesday, but I took Josephine on a walk in the park. I didn't get any writing done this week, but I do have tomato plants in the garden and I thinned out the radishes. I also took a jar that I bought four or five years ago with the idea of turning into a terrarium and finally turned it into a terrarium. And I did make it onto my yoga mat at least once this week.
I am also reminded that my "good" intentions list should be simple: be the best person I can be in this moment. Really, it's the only intention I should have. Yesterday I gave a half a carton of eggs to two different people for no reason other than I thought it would be nice to give them some eggs. Both recipients were so over joyed with receiving those eggs and it was the best feeling to be able to surprise them with eggs. I am grateful to be able to give fresh eggs to the unsuspecting. I am thankful for the reminder to make my intention list short. I am grateful for the reminder to be my very best me.
I am thankful for a lot of things this week like perfectly poached eggs on avocado toast and countless games of tug-o-war with the dog. I am thankful for our new city issued garbage bin because now we don't have to store Albus's latest kill in the garage (I saved a baby bunny twice last night only to find him dead on our living room floor this morning; Albus is a jerk). I am thankful for being appreciated for a job well done. I am thankful for these new pants that are comfortable even though they have a non-elastic waistband. I am thankful for you.
Here's to a lovely weekend and perfectly perfect Thankful Friday.