Things to be glad about...

Do you remember Pollyanna?  I watched that movie so many times as a young teen...probably because for the two years we lived in Allentown, we actually had Disney channel, and it played constantly...and we didn't exactly get out to the movies very often while Dad was in college.  I remember thinking how I could see Pollyanna's point...that even in the hardest times, you could always find something to be glad about.  In my eternal optimism, my chipper attitude, my innocence...it was a lot easier then to find the "glad." I remember at the beginning of the movie...when all of the grown-ups were annoyed with her happiness...wondering how people could be so negative.

I'm not having a "figure out what there is to be glad about" kind of day.  I feel an awful lot like Angelica.  Before she got happy.  And this has happened too often lately.

So, today, I will force myself to dwell upon sunshine.  Here's my list of what I can be glad about:

-Healthy, active, intelligent, beautiful, loving kids.
-Full tummies.
-Full pantry.  Fridge.  Freezer.  And we haven't been shopping in two weeks.
-Air. Conditioning.
-Getting paid to do what I love.  And getting more calls to do it all the time.
-A disastrous playroom.  Covered in toys and the remnants of make-believe.
-Text messages that make me laugh.  Hard.
-A full craft cabinet.  Which I haven't stocked since Christmas. :)  And the children rediscovered today.
-Too many games.
-Cooler temps...and a breeze. :) Great sleeping weather.
-Well-worn furniture and a new mattress.
-Sirius Radio and lots of new summer music.
-Seasonal fruits and veggies.  Let's hear it for STRAWBERRIES!!!
-A functioning, just-the-right-amount-of-warm, in-ground pool.
-A house that stays within 20 minutes of company condition. ;)
-Four bedrooms. And the fact that more often than not, only two of them are used for sleeping.
-P90X. (You knew I had to include that somewhere in this list, right?)
-Creative brides. Who let me play with their cake designs.
-Friends who listen to me ramble. About mundane, completely unimportant things.
-Grace and forgiveness.  Which I struggle to accept, but know are available.
-My dishwasher.
-The neighbor's yummy smelling fabric softener which wafts through my open kitchen window. :)
-Summer sports that wear my kids out.  And make them tan and happy.
-The opportunity to read and think while summer sports wear my kids out. :)
-Excessive use of smiley faced emoticons.
-A cell phone that makes me smile.  It's completely unnecessary, but it's fun.

So many more things come to mind.  I've left this open all day to add as I've thought of things, and I know I could leave it open until I go to bed tonight and I would double the list...but I'll tell you, when I started it...I really didn't think I had that many.  I have gotten bogged down in the junk.  And there's plenty of junk, too...but if I focus on that junk...I forget...all of that stuff up there.  And the junk is overwhelming.  But the good stuff...that's where I want to live.

I think I'll work on a mental list. Starting...now.