Gratitude - 21

Today I am grateful for:

1. Two dogs who will walk next to me four miles happily without pulling on the leash or in any other way make me wish I had left them at home.
2. Day lilies. Each blossom has only one day to be beautiful, and yet does it with such abandon. (see below)
3. Hard physical labor that produces a sweat and good physical tiredness.
4. People who ask hard questions of themselves and of me.
5. People who do hard things because those things are right.

I've finally had a day where I realized I was feeling grateful quite a bit of the time. There were still times when I felt overwhelmed or lost sight of my gratitude. But there were more times when I would be enjoying how good something was, and then remember that this was something I could add tonight. I had way more than five things to be grateful for tonight, but it is nearly 1:00 a.m. and I had some picture to add.

The day lilies are just beginning now. They are so beautiful. The shortness of the bloom is made up for by the brilliance of the color. It is in your face amazing.


The variety of flowers also is such fun to think about. The tiny petals of the wildflowers in my flowerbed---is it fleabane? I can't remember. They are so delicate and seem so fragile. Yet, if they go to seed in the flower bed, next year they will take over. I have to pull most of them out just before they shed their seed so that I will have some, but not too many.


The larkspur has a flower that is a little bit more substantial, but its leaves are lacy and different from any other flower I know of. It reminds me of dill as it sprouts before the buds appear.


Hollyhocks have neither delicate flowers or fragile leaves. I planted them by the back door and they make me smile. I read once that people used to know where they outhouse was because in summer it was screened by hollyhocks. Every time I walk past the back door I think about that.