It's Friday; It's a Good Thing

Yesterday was not a good day. Today has not started any better. Worse, actually, because I woke up with my blood sugar in the 50s (no reason I can think of - it was fine when I went to bed) and so I woke up sick to my stomach and light headed and dizzy and shakey, and despite the fact that I should be better by now, I still just feel eh. And I have 20 hours worth of work to cram into 4.

So who out there feels like hearing me complain?

See? I don't notice any hands being raised out there in the blogosphere. Which is what I was thinking to myself driving to run an errand I didn't want to run this morning. I'm getting sick of hearing myself complain in my own head!

And somewhere, out of nowhere, I began thinking of the Bible verse, "Sing a new song to the Lord."

I haven't read that verse recently. I don't know a song with those words to get it stuck in my head. And I didn't feel like singing. I wasn't even singing to begin with, so how could I sing a new song?

And then it occurred to me all my whining and complaining - even if only to myself - is like a song. A cruddy, whiny, out of tune horrid song. And what I need to sing is a new one.

So good thing it's Friday here, and time for a little gratitude attitude adjustment. Because just because my stomach and head feel awful, doesn't mean my spirit needs to feel bad, too.

So today it's Friday, and here are a few of the good things from this week:

1. I'm thankful my marketing plan is done (for now), and that it's something I'm reasonably proud of, and something that, once I did it and saw it all written down on paper, I realized is actually achievable. All the pressure I've felt for months about figuring out how to get the word out on my book seems suddenly manageable.

2. I'm thankful I have a publisher that calls personally to ask if I need any help with the marketing plan, and ask if I have any questions.

3. I'm thankful our goldfish are still alive. Last week my daughter was gifted 2 goldfish, which she adores with a passion that should be reserved for something great - like a labrador. But she checks on these fish constantly. She'd sleep with them if she could. But we have what we call fondly "3rd world water," It's from a well. It's slightly yellow due to iron. And it kills fish. Fast. I live in constant fear that when she is at school and I am responsible for the fish, they are going to die on my watch, and I'm going to find them floating belly up and have to perform CPR on them. But so far... they're alive. So daughter is happy. And I am happy. Alive goldfish are a very good thing!

4. I am so thankful for my husband's creativity. This weekend is my son's birthday bash, and last night we found out that our plans for the party had imploded (we were going glow-in-the-dark-haunted-mini-golfing, and the mini-golf placed inexplicably closed this week!). Terrific dad that he is, my husband came up with an awesome plan for a night mission through our wooded acres which my son is actually more excited about than golf. And there will be a bonfire, and "I survived the night mission" t-shirts, and he's going to run it all. So dads that save the day (or the night) are great things!

5. I'm thankful for people who are nice. Let's face it, there are the other kind out there. But sometimes I think it just makes me appreciate all those really, really nice people.

6. Spiral notebooks and ballpoint pens. I'm rediscovering the miracle that is writing on paper.

7. Sleep. Okay - I haven't seen a lot of that, lately, but it just makes me appreciate it even more. Sleep, and warm beds, and comfortable pillows, and curling up under piles of blankets when it's cool outside.

8. Being cool outside. I love the fall.

9. People who understand that not everyone thinks alike, and are okay with that. There are lots of opinions in the world, and I appreciate those people who don't have to have you agree with everything they believe to still appreciate you. Along with that, people who can see things from different points of view, even if they don't agree. And along with that, people who are kind to others, and about others, no matter what the conversation is about.

10. All my stuff. Even when it doesn't feel like enough. Because it is. I sat at a light this morning moaning to myself about how cruddy I felt and all that I needed to do today (this was before the new song idea), and then I saw a homeless person on the corner with a sign asking for change. And I thought about the warm clothes I had on and the cup of coffee in my cupholder and the van that I was sitting in and the music on the radio and the completely superfluous bag of glow sticks on the seat next to me...suddenly I didn't feel so cruddy. Guilty, maybe, but not cruddy.

So what are you thankful for today?