Give me an attitude...

I probably don’t need to tell anyone that the stock market tanked yesterday.  Most of us, particularly if we are retired and don’t have a guaranteed pension other than social security, keep our eyes permanently fixed on those 401(k) s and tax-sheltered annuities. 

But if I could wish for anything for my loved ones, it would not be money – though that would be helpful to most of us! Rather, it would be a spirit of gratitude to a loving God.  With gratitude one can face anything and love freely.  With gratitude, one consistently sees blessings and is therefore, consistently blessed.  Gratitude replaces the dark places in one’s soul: anger, malice, despair, hate, fear, anxiety and more.  Without gratitude, even material wealth only leads to greed, a desire to possess more, and an endless pursuit for contentment. 

Gratitude teaches us to live in the present and appreciate the simple things-- to be content with what we have.  It gives us energy to create, to love, to hold to truth.  Another way to put it; gratitude is the presence of the Holy Spirit living within the soul. 

Listen to the words of the apostle Paul:

“Finally beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”   Philippians 4:8

Though some nest eggs may be dwindling, I wrote this poem in 2008 shortly after my husband retired.  I still feel this way.

Nest Egg

I do like this time we spend together,

the passing of minutes in our lazy days.

No words, maybe yards from each other

yet still within a glance, a smile.

And sometimes not even within sight

of each other—he in the garage and I

in the gazebo—yet still within knowing;

the invisible shell that wraps around us. 

We’re like an egg—yolk and white distinct,

but together, delicious.