"One Thousand Gifts"

I'm doing something new today, something I've been waiting in the wings on but wanting to do for several weeks now. I'm participating in Ann Voskamp's

For those of you reading this who haven't heard of the book, "One Thousand Gifts", I'm reading it now, and it is changing my heart one page at a time. I read Ann's blog every day for a daily dose of inspiration and humbling and perspective, because I am so wrapped in the world still that I often lose sight of what are the important things in life. I began my counting a few weeks ago, but never linked up, so I think I will start my counting of grace and blessings again here, and start afresh. Ann is well into the two-thousands of her list of daily marvels, thanksgivings, blessings and wonders; the things she sees are amazing to me (the iridescence of light in soap bubbles, for instance!). It feels so meager to be starting at one; but I suppose I have to start somewhere. The first nine are ones I recorded a few weeks ago, and I have just been making notes in my phone, or jot onto scraps I have near me as I have discovered the rest...

1. Pouring my heart out to an old and dear friend who knows me and appreciates me for who I am without judgment.

2. Being physically able to go and exercise every day.

3. Knowing my son is well-cared for while I'm given the special gift to go and work on myself.

4. My son’s kisses this morning, I think I got maybe two or three; awesome!

5. The quiet here in the house while he naps.

6. Feeling excited to go and “accidentally” wake him up when I go check on him in a minute because he’s been asleep a long time and I want to see his little face and smile.

7. His smile, multiple times today

8. Listening to him chatter to himself and us in a language only he understands

9. Hearing him use new words every day

10. Stirring a pot of "invisible soup" with the boy who beams with pride at his new skill.

11. Sloppy kisses through crib bars in the dark.

12. Holding those tiny fingers just as I did in the natal days.

13. Listening to the jabber of a language all his own.

14. A physician with good bedside manner.

15. The friendly bakerwoman.

16. The smell of yeast and wheat and sweets all baked up.

17. Handmade garlic bread for supper.

18. Warm, hearty beef stew.

19. The gift of quiet time to read dozens of pages.

20. Singing outloud to happy notes.

21. A perfect 68 and sunny.

22. Hiding in the dark of a closet, my boy and I against the world, curled into my lap, whispering in his foreign tongue, his growing-up race paused for precious moments.

That is all I have for now, undoubtedly still missing a million more moments of grace and blessing, my eye yet untrained on all there still is to be seen. But I will keep counting, and sharing; these words of "One Thousand Gifts" having made a permanent impact on me:

"Life-changing gratitude does not fasten to a life unless nailed through with one very specific nail at a time." - Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts, pg. 57

Can you count to one-thousand?

Love,

Cassie