One Thousand Gifts . . .

A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked the woman to give it to him. She did so without hesitation. The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. He knew the stone was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the wise woman.

"I've been thinking," he said, "I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back in the hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone." - The Wise Woman's Stone, author unknown

I'm still counting gifts from above. 

It's deliberate for me.  Planned and calculated and purposeful.  It's premeditated.  Sometimes it's hard.  But I try not to notice things anymore as just the ordinary.  Every moment and what is in it is a gift from above. 

Some of these moments are hard moments.  Sometimes hard moments drag into hard days.  Uncertain days. 

This is when my list being deliberate is its most useful. 

It is hard not to notice when I'm trying to notice.

My list continues . . .

her peeling bananas

the sound of the heat cutting on in a chilled house

tornado sirens

feather extensions

lightweight jackets

giving my umbrella away

borrowed umbrellas

land lines

spinach salad

the first day of spring

delivering food

warm rice pudding

a card in the mail

play grocery shopping with Max, complete with sound effects - beep, shoosh, wees

listening to the old men at the VA

doggies clipped to jean belt loops

puppets

memories of a building and a friend

Tammy's caramel cake

spring allergies

pizza with the best of friends

friends still together

My list, #'s 580-602.