Ten Things of Thankful: Starting July on a High Note

 

The Beach Boys take the stage in Logan, Utah

What a week! In my circle of friends and family, there have been quite a few people who are currently facing challenges, and those individuals have been on my mind and in my prayers (and phone calls/texts/messages.) 

Missing segue, but keep reading and hopefully everything will make sense in the end.

Years ago, I attended a concert at a local fair. The Beach Boys were performing, and the concert was made even better because many friends were there, too. A month or so ago, I read that The Beach Boys were going to perform in Logan, Utah, at the end of June, so I purchased tickets for John and I to go. On the night of the concert, as we were waiting for the performance to start, I reminisced back to that other concert, with so many of our friends in attendance. 

An accident happened to the husband of one of those friends this week, and he is currently hospitalized with numerous injuries. As I sat in the stadium, I considered and reconsidered sharing where we currently were and my happy memories of that earlier concert. Against what I thought was my better judgment, I did send a short text to a group of my friends. To my delight and surprise, my friend whose husband was in the accident quickly replied that her first date with her husband was going to a Beach Boys concert in Logan, Utah--exactly where we were! My text had brought back a happy memory to her. 

1. I'm thankful for promptings to do rather random things, and

2. I'm thankful for those times that I actually follow through and act upon those ideas. I'm still learning. 

I've been an observer to challenges this past week; the pain isn't first-hand, the situations are out of my control, and there isn't anything tangible I can do to help. Still, I feel the urge to tackle a problem, and so, with John's infinite patience with my projects, we have been cleaning out the garage. We're not done, but the garage has gone from the "I'm-so-embarrassed-I-don't-want-to-open-the-door garage" to the "Where-else-will-we-put-the-exercise-equipment-that-we-will-use-someday-but-that-doesn't-fit-in-the-house? garage".

3. I'm thankful for progress. 

4. Although it would be wonderful to be able to have a magic wand and wave away problems for my friends and family, I am thankful that there are some things I do have the power to control.

When my grandma was a few years older than I am now, she went through a phase where she collected stuffed animals. I've picked up a few new houseplants (and seeds, and another light, and a moss pole for one of the plants to climb) recently, and I've wondered, "Am I becoming my grandma, only with houseplants instead of stuffed animals?" I'm trying to keep this to a reasonable level, but in the meantime:

5. I'm thankful for houseplants that bring the greenery of outdoors, inside.

Sickness, pain, and death are part of this existence, but so is joy. Yesterday was a joyful day. John's family had a bit of an impromptu reunion, as we all gathered for his mom's baptism. In the evening, as we were leaving John's parents' house, I got a Zoom invitation to watch the baptisms of a good friend's daughters. July certainly began on a high note. 

6. I'm thankful for faith, and the blessing it is.

7. I'm thankful for my oldest son, who worked Friday, drove all night (stopping to sleep as needed), and then had to leave again right after the baptism so he could be at work this afternoon. It was so good to see him, though I would have understood completely if he had said he couldn't make it. 

8. I'm thankful for Zoom which allows virtual attendance at important events. 

9. I'm thankful that John's parents were able to have all their children (and most of the children's spouses) together yesterday. It's been quite a few years since everyone was gathered together. I'm also thankful John's aunt, uncle, and numerous nieces, nephews, and their children could join in the celebration, too.

10. I'm thankful for John.

What are you thankful for this week? Be sure to leave a comment, as gratitude is contagious and I want to hear what is on your mind! Also, check out the other bloggers' posts at the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop!