While watching the news this morning, which included a great deal of coverage of the Boston Marathon Tragedy, I had a grateful "moment". Most of my grateful "moments" are conjured up by reflection of a wonderful life and then recorded in my gratitude diary, which I've been keeping for the past 5 years. This grateful moment was born ~ realized, when I saw a woman who had participated in The Boston Marathon last year and had lost her legs, one from the knee down and the other from the thigh down, in the Boston Marathon bombing. A photographer, Robert Fogerty, took pictures of Celeste at the finish line on the anniversary of this tragedy, and written in black magic marker on her legs were the words, "Still Standing". I immediately felt that sinking feeling that we all feel when we realize how 'ungrateful' we've really been. Although, on a daily basis, I had been writing in my gratitude journal my gratefulness for my car, my house and my family, I also had murmured and complained, almost as often, about my fat legs. Everyone has a body part that they would prefer to be thinner, look better or just not exist. But at this moment, I was looking at a woman who no longer had legs. How dare I not like my legs! So...this is where my AHA! Moment happened. I have strong beautiful legs. I can walk, run, skip and jump. I AM GRATEFUL! Sometimes we need to see the void ~ the darkness to appreciate the fullness of the light. So no longer will I say, silently to myself, I hate my legs I wish they were different. I will now rejoice in the abundance of my thighs and write down every day how grateful I am to be.......STILL STANDING.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Still Standing
While watching the news this morning, which included a great deal of coverage of the Boston Marathon Tragedy, I had a grateful "moment". Most of my grateful "moments" are conjured up by reflection of a wonderful life and then recorded in my gratitude diary, which I've been keeping for the past 5 years. This grateful moment was born ~ realized, when I saw a woman who had participated in The Boston Marathon last year and had lost her legs, one from the knee down and the other from the thigh down, in the Boston Marathon bombing. A photographer, Robert Fogerty, took pictures of Celeste at the finish line on the anniversary of this tragedy, and written in black magic marker on her legs were the words, "Still Standing". I immediately felt that sinking feeling that we all feel when we realize how 'ungrateful' we've really been. Although, on a daily basis, I had been writing in my gratitude journal my gratefulness for my car, my house and my family, I also had murmured and complained, almost as often, about my fat legs. Everyone has a body part that they would prefer to be thinner, look better or just not exist. But at this moment, I was looking at a woman who no longer had legs. How dare I not like my legs! So...this is where my AHA! Moment happened. I have strong beautiful legs. I can walk, run, skip and jump. I AM GRATEFUL! Sometimes we need to see the void ~ the darkness to appreciate the fullness of the light. So no longer will I say, silently to myself, I hate my legs I wish they were different. I will now rejoice in the abundance of my thighs and write down every day how grateful I am to be.......STILL STANDING.
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