I am grateful for memories of playing croquet in the yard in Haven.

I am grateful for a new blow dryer that wow, is so powerful. I was using a blow dryer that I thought was just fine until it wasn’t just fine any longer and I had to break down and buy a new one. You don’t know what you don’t know, and I didn’t know that I was using a sloth until I put a cheetah in my hand.

I am grateful for the silliest weather woman who makes me laugh when I watch her. Animated on steroids, and she’s so serious about her performance. Yes, she is the one who loves to say, “buh-lustery!” and you oughta see her hand motions. Oh, she is entertainment at 6 am…

I am grateful for the anticipation of a warm and sunny weekend to welcome my Dad home to his new home.

I am grateful that people are interesting and provide diversity in my day, like the gentleman on the other end of the phone yesterday whose response to my suggestion to leave a voicemail for a co-worker: “That would be SMASHING!”  I dare you to use that phrase this weekend…

And I am grateful for weekends.

…in every way try to please Him, at home, at school, at play.

I am grateful for problems. They cause me to turn my face to the only One who understands, the only One who can offer a shoulder to lean on day or night.

I am grateful that my problems are so small, but I know that a bruise can be an indication of something larger if not cared for.

I am grateful that I can cast my care on Him, because He does care about ME.

I am grateful for sunshine in the early morning.

I am grateful for memories of Children’s Church with Violet Emery and Josephine Thornburg, and those paper plates with crepe paper sunbeams that we twirled as we sang.

I am grateful for my family.

I am grateful for trash day and grateful for the ease of ridding the house of garbage.

I am grateful to have had counseling once again, which makes me so grateful for Kathy and her ability to listen, share advice, and give me a couple of hand slaps when I need to keep in check.

And I am grateful for the hymn God Leads His Dear Children Along.

This morning, I read an article that my good friend Michelle received from her daughter about reasons to call your Mom every day. Funny thing. I have been reminded of this several times in the last few weeks – a conversation with Dennis, a speech made at the Academy Awards, a devotion about the comparison of our earthly father and our heavenly Father…

So, here is my adaptation of the article’s advice, since I am a Mom and can so relate, and since I can no longer call my Mom but still have my Dad and will soon get to see him every day – a privilege I do not want to take for granted:

Your Mom and Dad were your first friends.

As cliché as it might sound, they’ve been there for you through thick and thin – standing behind you when you had the motorcycle wreck and went through ten surgeries; loving you with no words when you became pregnant before it was time and then embracing their first granddaughter with all that was within them; encouraging your fleeting dreams of stardom when you wanted to go to The Wheaton Conservatory of Music; holding you and walking beside you with no judgment when you left your marriage and endured such emotional pain no one can really understand.

They are your biggest fans and never fail to brighten up even the most horrid of days.

There’s no one quite as special as Mom and Dad.

Having parents who support you is the greatest blessing in life. It can be easy to take their love for granted because you know it’s unconditional; they’re always going to be there for you.

What you need to remember, however, is this: they are people, too, with feelings of their own.

You might have all these fabulous friends in your 20-something, 30-something, 40-something, and now 50-something life, but you should not forget, your Mom and/or Dad is a better friend than anyone.

And though they might not say it, they are definitely a little lonelier now that you have a life of your own.

They want to hear your voice and are sincerely interested in every mundane detail of your chaotic life. Just a phone call away…

Like it or not, Mom wasn’t around forever, and Dad isn’t going to be around forever, either, Rhonda. Take your head out of the sand and appreciate the two who made you. No one will ever love you as much as they do.

21 reasons to call your parent every single day.

1. They have your best interest at heart, no ulterior motives. They are your Mommy and Daddy.
2. They are the only ones who can listen to you talk about yourself for 30 minutes straight without rolling their eyes. They wholeheartedly encourage your narcissism.
3. They will congratulate you just for getting out of bed. It is a huge achievement, and thus, you are amazing.
4. They never fail to make your day and know what to say when you’re feeling crappy about yourself.
5. They made you, so you kind of owe them. She carried you for nine months and then pushed your fat head out of her body, and they financially supported you throughout childhood and protected you as best they could from life’s tragedies. They deserve a phone call.
6. They give the best advice they know how to give. There is no advice like Mom and Dad’s advice.
7. You got it from your Mama and Dad! You have them to thank for your gorgeous face.
8. They are always in your corner. When you need someone to vent to about your horrible boss, they’re automatically on your team.
9. You’ll feel more connected to them. Especially since they live far away, a phone call is the best way to stay close.
10. To complain about your life being in shambles. When your friends were sick of hearing about it, and you were too poor for formal therapy, remember that Dr. Mom and Dr. Dad were there to listen and support. They have a PhD in “you.”
11. To complain, period. No one else wants to hear about how bitter you are towards everything and everyone. Not that they WANT to hear it, but they won’t hang up on you.
12. They should be among your best friends. They were your first friend; they will be your forever friend.
13. They won’t judge you. Of course, they have disagreed with some of your life choices, but Mom and Dad love you too much to judge you, and they accept you for who you are today.
14. They know you better than anyone and can speak with greater perspective than any of your basic friends.
15. They are more like you than anyone. Scary thought, yes, but they do share your genes.
16. Mom and Dad are lonely with you so far away. Now that you are living your own life, the nest is empty; Mom will always be a Mom, and Dad will always be a Dad. They need your sincere care, concern, and support after supporting you for the past 20,30,40,50 years. It’s time to ask them about THEIR lives for a change, rather than dominating the conversation and making it all about you.
17. They genuinely want to talk to you. Getting a phone call from you will be the highlight of their day. Doesn’t knowing that make you feel special?
18. They have paid the bill how many times now? They still fund so much, even now that you are a fully-functioning adult, so you should show some appreciation.
19. Mom needs girl talk. She probably doesn’t have a whole gaggle of friends sitting around, waiting for girl talk. And she misses just “hanging out” with you. Likewise, Dad needs to feel like his advice is needed and wanted. Parents “take care of things.” Just because they are older doesn’t mean that characteristic goes away. Dad also needs to feel like you LIKE hanging out with him – not because you need anything, but because you just like being with him.
20. You can never talk to Mom or Dad too much. You may be in your 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, or 50’s now, living your big, hot-shot life, but you know you’ll always need their advice for basically everything and anything.
21. To tell Mom you love her. To tell Dad you love him. Enough said.

 Adapted from the article by Gigi Engle from Elite Daily.

So, I am grateful for my parents.

I am grateful for the reminder to pick up the phone and call Dad and spend time with him. I should be the one to make the effort at this stage of life. I am not a child anymore.

I am grateful that I haven’t been a complete failure in life – that I have been able to experience the happiness mentioned in the title above. Not always, but most always.

And I am grateful that I am a Mom and feel what my own Mom felt – the overwhelming joy and inner thrill, the overwhelming grief and deep hurt that only a parent can know. I am grateful that after all of these years, I finally “get it.”

I am grateful for joy unspeakable.

I am grateful for heartfelt prayer.

I am grateful for Bateman brownies.

I am grateful for the simple fun of watching The Jetsons.

I am grateful for an evening sitting at the dining room table with friends and great discussion.

I am grateful for the convenience of the CVS Minute Clinic…and prescriptions under $2.

I am grateful for the beauty of orange hot coals.

I am grateful that bills are paid and tithe is made.

And I am grateful that Sam took a break from the project to finish watching The Voice with me tonight. I love that he enjoys music, too.

Sometimes, I have a hard time being grateful. It just takes so much effort to think of the wonderful and to put the wonderful into words in a creative and interesting way. My rule is: Never repeat. I break it every now and then, but not very often. There are days, however, when I just want to say, “Ditto to the last 1000 grateful days, I’m done now.”

So, for this day, I am just random and might possibly repeat, but no one will really know because if anyone were to go back through the archives and actually locate a repeated grateful, they have problems that need to be addressed.

I am grateful for socks without holes.

I am grateful for fresh breath.

I am grateful for BEAUTIFUL pictures in the mail last night from Karissa.

I am grateful to have heard Reilly’s voice in the background as I spoke to Katrina.

I am grateful for the smell of Pine-Sol.

I am grateful that my teeth do not always hurt, but when they do, I am grateful that ibuprofen dulls the pain.

I am grateful for the DVR that records Ellen and The Blacklist and The Voice.

I am grateful that my boss believes in UFOs and aliens because she makes me feel very normal.

I am grateful for carpet without stains.

I am grateful for melty cheese.

I am grateful for memories of my dogs making noises when they dreamt.

This morning, I sent my co-workers the current copier count so that they would know how many copies have been made in the past month here in the office. The email string has been so entertaining, and I am feeling all squirmy and happy it is Friday after I opened the can of worms. So I am grateful it is Friday.

I am grateful for a few minutes of sitting across the table from Delores.

I am grateful for the rare occasion when I do something that I just think is so hilarious and I laugh out loud at myself.

I am grateful that I like to read, but I sure wish I could just spend a couple of hours a few times each week enjoying books. I know, I know. Quit watching Ellen before bedtime and pick up a book…

I am grateful that I did not have boys. I would not have known what to do with a baby boy. It’s a frightening thought.

I am grateful for homemade chocolate chip peanut butter oatmeal cookies, especially when I bring one to work.

I am grateful for a girl who talks very Texan and makes me smile when she speaks. Bye = Bah. Night = Naht. Right = Raht. Eye = Ah. You get the pattern…

That reminds me of a song I used to teach to my little elementary classes. Thirty purple birds, sitting on a curb, a’chirping and a’burping and a’eating dirty worms. But then we would sing it “Bugs Bunny” style: Thoity poiple boids, sitting on a coib, a’choiping and a’boiping and a’eating doity woims. I am grateful for those good memories.

And finally on this day, I am grateful that Love has the last word.

Encourage one another and build each other up,
just as in fact you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11

The whole front wall of the office is all glass. Floor to ceiling, wall to wall. I watch people walk in and out of the building all day long. The men’s restroom is directly outside the front door in full view for my viewing pleasure and distraction…if I happen to look up from my computer monitors, which I try very hard to NOT do. It is kind of an ongoing game in my head: “Do NOT look up at that man who is zipping his drawers.” “Do NOT laugh at the guy who is walking extremely quickly to get to the restroom before he loses it. Don’t even act like you know he is in the building.” “Focus on the cursor, focus on the spreadsheet, focus on the webpage. FO-CUS, Rhonda Joy.”

So…even though that should gross me out and cause me to walk away and make a beeline to the office kitchen, I am a trooper and eat at my desk almost every day. Come to think about it, I’ve eaten at my desk all of my adult life. I even ate at the piano when I was giving daily piano lessons. What. In. The. World.  I am BETTER at what I eat at my desk now, however. It used to be Cheezits and M&Ms and cans of Dr. Pepper, but now it’s baggies  sandwich bags of apple slices and celery sticks and carrots and grapefruits and oranges, with an occasional multi-grain cracker or 30, and always a tall glass of water. But I digress at my awesomeness.

I was eating my apple slices yesterday afternoon, and this really friendly gentleman who used to creep me out with his daily waves through the glass, poked his head in the door and said, “HOW do you DO it, Rhonda?!  You are ALWAYS eating!”

Seriously.  If that doesn’t call for a fast and a starvation diet plan, I don’t know what does.

Someone told me yesterday that I am transparent.  (Thank you, Myndee.)  I get it. I am who I am, and I have nothing left to hide.  LITERALLY, it seems, since my OFFICE is transparent and everyone can see right through it to observe EVERYTHING I DO!

I am grateful for a home where we can close the doors and lock them and be semi-private.

I am grateful that at least I am not EVE…or a fish. I HAVE clothes and wear them in this fishbowl.

I am grateful that at least the people outside the fishbowl cannot see my legs.

I am grateful that I have nothing to hide…but my legs.

Once upon a time, we were visiting Dad and Mom when the girls were very young and it was the late 80’s. Hair was “scrunched” for that stylish look of the day. It was Sunday morning and time to leave for church. I came upstairs after spending much time with a can of mousse and a mirror to get my hair all scrunched just right. And what did my Mother say to me?

“Aren’t you going to fix your hair?”

Oh, Mom. You meant well.

So, I am grateful that although men Moms people can sometimes be extremely insensitive with their comments, I am learning to shrug off those comments and go with the ones that make me feel better, not worse.

And I certainly hope that I am getting better at watching what I say to others, but if I was ever completely insensitive towards anyone reading this and caused you to want to diet or cut off all of your hair…I AM SO SORRY.

Time for a fish fry.

She told the story of her son’s dream on a Sunday morning, and those words were implanted in my brain. A Mom who loves fiercely.  A Mom who wears her heart on her shoulder. A Mom who teaches life lessons while loving through the hard, enjoying moments of victory, making mistakes but being real and being transparent so that her children can see the beauty of grace. I am grateful today for that message on that Sunday in May last year and hope that my girls know I’ll always be their biggest cheerleader…

I am grateful for my bowl of rice today that reminds me of Ginny.

I am grateful that Deb sends her daily devotions to me every day:

February 24, 2015 – “The Lord’s bond servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged.” 2 Timothy 2:24 NASB.

“Out of love and respect, a bond servant serves his master long after his obligation has been satisfied.  His behavior and attitude reflect what’s in his heart.

We are not obligated to serve God to earn our freedom—Christ accomplished that on the cross.  We serve God out of love and respect for Him.  Our attitude and behavior show what’s in our hearts.  Being a bond servant to the Lord is a privilege.”

I am grateful for lessons learned the hard way: the pursuit of a degree in court reporting that went by the wayside but is still coming out of my bank account each month, and an apartment rental decision made in haste back in 2012 because I wanted to make a decision on my own and be independent, only to discover after a non-refundable deposit had been made, I would be living in a very high crime neighborhood. Choices cost something – make sure they are worth the price, Rhonda.

I am grateful for the treat of seeing a grown daughter sharing laughter with her Mom.

I am grateful for the heart joy of receiving Delores’ note in the mail last night.

I am grateful for the privilege of watching: a little guy eat a bagel too big, or a fascinated baby girl point at a squirrel, or two grandparents sharing a McDonald’s breakfast with their mussed-up hair sleepy grandchildren.

I am grateful for gloves in nighttime bitterness.

There are no little things.
“Little things,” so called, are the hinges of the universe.
– Fanny Fern

Let us try to do what makes peace and helps one another.
– Romans 14:19 NCV

I am grateful that a grown man takes the time to be with his sister and show her how much he cares and loves her.

I am grateful for young parents who teach their littles the importance of staying connected and knowing their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

I am grateful for pretty crocheted hats and scarves, handmade with love.

I am grateful that my parents said, “No, if you want it, you’ll have to get a job and earn it.”

I am grateful for sweet innocence in children.

I am grateful that the one who knows the whole story loves me anyway, and that the One who knows the whole story, loves me because He knows the whole story.

I am grateful for my CASA girl. She is 15 years old today. I began this CASA journey with her to fill a void, and she now has a permanent place in my heart.

Listening to Lady Gaga perform on Sunday evening made me grateful for memories of “The Sound of Music” at Central Christian and for memories of the cast pictures my brother took.

That makes me grateful for all of my students who enriched my world over the years, and especially for those students who loved me and still keep in touch with me in spite of the short temper, the moodiness, and my limitations.

And I am grateful for memories of those plastic braided bracelets we all used to make at Camp Quaker Haven in the 70’s. As I was reminded this morning with the quote above, there are no little things.

Every. Last. Thing.

Because if there is a cobweb with many strings indicating it has had much time for which to grow, and this office building is cleaned every single day of the week, and the fine cleaning crew who really does a very nice job at what they do MISSED that complicated cobweb, then I am not a complete failure in our home when I happen to find slightly less complicated cobwebs that generate when I’m not paying attention.

I am grateful for Sam, because he brought extra wood inside last night, and when I was unable to sleep and went to the couch and noticed the still-burning remnants of the evening in the fireplace, I was able to add to the orange hot coals and enjoy a good fire for a couple of hours without having to go outside in the single digits and retrieve wood, not that I would have done that, so it was nice to have some extra wood in the stacker thing to use.

I am grateful for the beauty of stained glass and now that our church is commissioning the work, I am grateful for this newfound appreciation of the art.

I am grateful for my love of reading.

I am grateful for a Sunday afternoon to just clean the house.

I am grateful for bagged lettuce.

I am grateful for a sparkle in the eye of a 95-year-old whose goal it is to make it to 100.

I am grateful for the privilege of listening to Sam and his sister read birthday cards to their Dad on Saturday afternoon.

I am grateful for Home Depot smell.

I am grateful that I am not important enough to attend award shows and can avoid sequins and fake nails and heels that could be used as weapons.

“What matters is not your outer appearance—the styling of your hair, the jewelry you wear, the cut of your clothes—but your inner disposition. Cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in. – I Peter 3:3-4 (The Message)

“So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.” – I Peter 5:6-7

And I am grateful for the start of a new week, for the end of this Monday, and the beginning of Monday evening.

People need to be encouraged.
Here’s the challenge:
Send an email this week that the recipient will not delete.
Send a note in the mail that will be saved for years.
Leave an encouraging voice mail that will be saved for a long time.
Go up to someone and just do whatever you can
to encourage as an expression of Christian love.
– Leith Anderson

I am grateful to feel better today.

I am grateful for door lock buttons in the car. And for door lock/unlock buttons on my key ring.

I am grateful for the privilege of spending the day tomorrow with Max on his 95^th birthday.

I am grateful to have reconnected with my “daughter” Melissa today. I am grateful for her text message and the feature on my old phone to lock that message so that I can re-read it when I am down.

Most good things have been said far too many times
and just need to be lived. – Shane Claiborne

I am grateful for the treat of warm cornbread with lotsa butter. The only thing it needs is a bowl of ham & beans and a PBS episode of The Electric Company on the big console TV in the living room. Those were the days…

I am grateful that I do not have chapped lips or ingrown toenails.

I am grateful that it is Friday and my ironing pile consists of no more than three items.

I am grateful for the hilarious surprise package I received last night. I pulled the tape off of the brown bag to find a Cornflakes box that had been cut and taped up, JUST LIKE MY MOM USED TO DO. Re-use and recycle! Inside, was a beautiful black purse filled with silly necessities from my Aunt Patsy and Uncle Charlie! They took my grateful that I wrote several days back seriously when I revealed my inferiority complex and how I left my one fur purse in the car at the women’s conference, and so now I have a NEW PURSE complete with gum and music Kleenex and a toothbrush and toothpaste and mints – so I won’t have bad breath, either! Oh my goodness, I laughed and laughed and thought of my sweet Aunt who is so much like her sister… THANK YOU, Aunt Patsy. I am grateful for you and Charlie today. I will wear my new purse with my head held high while I dragon breathe fresh my way through a crowd!

And finally, I am grateful that my eyes have been opened to see the beauty in the ordinary, to name every. last. thing.

So because of that, I am grateful for hand sanitizer.

I am grateful for the ability to close my eyes and let the burn subside.

I am grateful for medicine that helps me to sleep.

I am grateful for comfort food, although French fries would pretty much be the most comforting food EVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD, and I CANNOT INDULGE.

I am grateful for a job in which I do not have to speak out loud very much.

I am grateful for little things that make me feel better – a kind word, a shoulder squeeze, a picture of a lavender field (Julie), a nice kitchen towel, a quiet evening that involves a soft throw blanket and a parking spot in front of the fire, a clean sink, a little pretty like this:

Someday, I will have a Firefly piece of jewelry. But until then, I’ll feel better with a clean sink.

I am grateful that for once in my life, I am not hungry.

I am grateful that it is too cold outside to go outside so that I don’t have to feel guilty about not feeling good enough to walk.

I am grateful for a new thermometer and heating pad.

And I am grateful for memories of illness with Brandi or Ruska or Sienna or Natia or Topo sleeping right beside me, making me feel a little better.