In This Room

Today I am grateful for the chance my son Sam and I had to help at our church yesterday. It was only for an hour or so, but being able-bodied and having the time to help are both things to be grateful for. I am also grateful for the various ways that gratitude can be practiced.

My sister Aileen wrote the following poem after reading my latest column for our local paper. In it, I offer a simple suggestion for practicing gratitude: go into a room in your house, look around and consider all the things in the room that you are grateful for as well as the other sources of gratitude inspired by what is in that particular room.

Here is her poem:

In this room
a galaxy
of good.
Look around,
see the just-made
pasta salad.

In this room
a universe
of abundance.
Hear Baxter
click-click
across floor.

In this room
a world
of bounty.
Smell the
strong coffee.

In this room
a country
of beauty.
Touch
the begonias.

In this room
a state
of gratitude.

She is a wonderful poet and I love how she goes from a galaxy to a room. (Baxter is one of their cats.) Gratitude has a way of doing that-bringing us to the here and now, the present moment and the gifts contained in it. A kitchen is a great room to start in. So much of a family's focus, a home's heart, exists in that space where food is prepared, shared, enjoyed, cleaned up.

Thank you Aileen! For this poem, for sharing it, for trying my suggestion and letting me know how it went. Gratitude in action creates more gratitude. Gratitude in my routine creates a healthier routine.

What room in your house would you start in with this gratitude exercise? I will tell you about mine tomorrow. Have a nice day!