"If thank you is the only prayer you say, it will be enough." Meister Eckhart

Living in a small southern town, growing up in a place that had no fast food or pizza restaurants, there was not much to do. We had a piano teacher, (I was not musically inclined), we had a dance teacher, (I took dance for a while) and a roller rink, (this was fun) but the lessons I liked best were baton twirling from Ann Pardue, a North Carolina state baton twirling champion. She was amazing and a very good teacher. Thank you Ann!

She was good and I practiced every day. When I tried out for majorette it was clear I had the style and ability, it was also clear to the band leader that although I could be a feature twirler at home coming football games, I did not have the right attitude to be the chief majorette and lead others.  His words.

Being a leader I thought was having technical ability but I have since learned it is more, much more.

Twirling was fun.  Being a feature twirler was fun and I did it because it was offered, it did not feed an existing ego because I had none. If anything I had a low self-esteem that in truth wanted to make me fade away, go unnoticed to somewhere away from that town.

In time I moved away from that small town.  There was nothing there for me to become or grow into. I moved away to find me, and become the best me I could be, even though I did not know who that person was at 17 y. o. yet.

I have learned that a key to living life with enthusiasm is to live each day thankful. I use to say, "I'm thankful!" But I was not truly thankful.  Words said often can become meaningless but when the road of life becomes hard, really hard, and it has for me at times, there is a thankfulness that comes with surrendering to life, knowing there is nothing else that I can say or do, that brings a thankful thought to mind.

Thankful for my pillow, thankful for the floor, thankful for a toothbrush, thankful for shelter, heat, food, etc. the simple everyday things many take for granted without thanks.  The thankfulness attitude that begins when your eyes awake, continued throughout the morning routines, become a habit throughout the day that makes your day happier no matter what comes.

I have learned that if I am alive there is hope for me. That I can find peace, a peace that only I can bring to myself, (Emerson said this) a thankful mind opens to new ideas and roads undiscovered.

Today I am thankful for so many things that were given along the way to the life I have today. Of the things I am most thankful for are my children and a wonderfully supportive husband of 38 years now. I do not wonder who I am, I do not wonder what my purpose is, and I have found that I detest the word "leader." (another blog, another time 😉)

So I am truly thankful for my life and if my life ended today, it was enough. I have been loved and I have loved, without strings attached I have given to many people in need, and many people have given to me, the universe has taken care of me, and I have taken care of the universe. All is well...

Today I know that being thankful, truly thankful, thoughtfully thankful is enough for a beautiful life.