No, I don’t even like beer. But the expression is apt to remind us to be grateful for our lives.

Wednesday is a long awaited day with no commitments. And the agenda is a lot of housework, cleaning and laundry, sorting and paying bills. It’s not important how the situation got to be this way. It’s not important that this could have been avoided. The point is that’s just the way it is.

So I woke up looking at a beautiful day outdoors where I really want to be. Instead, I will be indoors longingly looking out the windows, but at least moving around as I will go from room to room with my vacuum cleaner. What to do to nip this resentment in the bud?

First, I looked at the beautiful view from my window and thanked HaShem for this day He has created. I thanked Him for giving me life and good health to enjoy it. I kissed my husband and put myself in his shoes. I thanked HaShem that He has allowed me to have flexibility in my schedule and days I work from home, putting my disappointment about today’s “open” day in perspective. I thanked Him for this beautiful home that provides views of beauty daily. I thanked Him for my family and time together as we anticipate celebrating Thanksgiving together. I thanked Him for a warm place to live, enough food to eat, and so many comforts beyond measure. I thanked Him for being the foundation of my life and for giving me a community of other like-minded beautiful people to journey alongside Him. I thanked HaShem for the uncountable blessings of the day that I was beginning. And I made a game plan for how to squeeze in some fun, too, between the various chores.

Next came the toy terrier and pug hugs as I filled my bucket for water as well as the bucket in my heart. The work that awaits remains the same. But my resentment is gone, filled in its place with gratitude to HaShem for this blessed life He has given to me, to us, to all of us. I’m looking forward to a day that will create gratification for the fruits of my labor and a new appreciation for the many blessings our Abba provides. I thank HaShem for reminding me through my human tendency to feel unwarranted resentment that we have the ability to experience thankfulness anew, an attitude that we often must work at to attain.

Rather than succumb to the negativity, I encourage you to use it as a check on your mindset. When that all too human tendency to complain arises, I encourage you to bring out your attitude of gratitude. It will be especially sharpened if you are reminded of those who have so much less who could use your help. As you do so and help others, you open your heart to filling it with His love to be shared with others, filling all the buckets, from the top to the bottom, with bounty beyond measure.

Happy Thanksgiving and Shabbat shalom.
Diane