“The secret garden
bloomed and bloomed
and each morning
revealed new miracles.”
It’s March.
Ya’ll….IT IS MARCH! How on earth did that happen so fast?
At our house, March means SPRING cleaning. Last weekend, we tackled the garage and outdoor spaces, hauling a full trailer load to the recycling and dump. At the end of that day, I stood there feeling very victorious, breathing in the goodness of the newly de-cluttered spaces…vowing to keep it this way forever.
Energized by the garage victory, I began to tackle my office, a space that I have started to avoid because the stacks of books, papers, and nick-knacks have become just too much to bear for this already cluttered mind of mine.
While sorting through this self induced chaos, my eyes landed on a brand new, never been opened Gratitude Journal.
My heart sank as I glanced back at my calendar to confirm that YES, it is really March. A full two months have passed since I sat down with my colored pencils to sketch out my goals and intentions for the year…which included my plan to keep a daily gratitude journal. I bought it, I brought it home, and I placed it on this stack…and never thought about it again. Shame washed over me as another unrealized intention stared back at me with its pretty turquoise cover and empty pages.
Do you do this too? I go into each year with great energy and enthusiasm…hoping to be a better version of myself. Unfortunately, my well laid plans rarely ever completely meet the reality of my life with two kids, 15 chickens, three dogs and a husband.
I sank into my office chair and began looking at my phone, begging it to distract me from my feelings of defeat. While flipping mindlessly through Facebook, my phone alerted me to:
“Remember to take your Daily Photo Today!”
I was recently inspired by my friend, a creative soul named Tricia Alexander, who was posting on Instagram these beautiful monthly photo calendars. And even though “TAKE A PHOTO A DAY” was not on my carefully planed 2017 Goals/Intentions page, I downloaded the Project 365 Pro app and began dragging a photo a day into my own calendar in February.
I savor the time I spend looking at the photos I snap, always attempting to choose “THE” picture that best represents my day to drag into its allotted calendar box. Too many times in the past, the days have zipped by so fast that when asked, “What did you do today?”, I am hard pressed to do much more than shrug like a teenager just home from school and say, “Not much.” Now, I know this is not true, but my brain has been trained to move on to that next thing on my list, rarely taking the time to BE in the moment long enough to really notice it.
IT’S TIME TO SLOW DOWN
A friend gave me some great advice once before my wedding day. She said,
“Stop, be still, and take snapshots in your mind throughout the day. Drink it in deep, because this day is going go by so fast.”
This year is already FLYING BY…and these daily photos have helped me to slow down, see the good stuff, and keep IT in focus.
So when I went to drag my first photo of March into place, I glanced at February’s completed calendar and began to grin. No longer slumped in my office chair, I sat up a little straighter….and the shame that had just resided in my heart, melted into complete and utter JOY.
There on my screen WAS everything I was grateful for in FULL COLOR. This IS my gratitude journal. It may not look like the gratitude journal I had envisioned in January, but that is just fine with me. I LOVE being able to sweep my eyes over this month and see the GOODNESS of each and every day. 
1. More time with my beautiful mother 2. Words of Wisdom 3. Gods humor 4. Watching my girl play 5. A fantastic hospital experience 6. Our sweet dog Rosie 7. A kid that doesn’t mind me embarrassing her 8. A writing day! 9. Clothes swap and fun with old and new friends 10. FHB and Me: hacked, but recovered! 11. My son’s smile 12: Time with HIM 13. Answered prayers 14. Valentines Night under the Lights…laughed untill I cried with friends 15. Heart find 16. First prune of the vineyard this spring 17. All A honor roll and perfect attendance 18. Thankful for my family after a heartbreaking loss in this one. 19. My tribe, my people. 20. Chicken fun 21. Time with family we don’t see often 22. Beautiful sunshine 23. A face that can still smile 24. Strength and grace under-pressure 25. Lavish leathers earrings. 26. The Princess Bride Quote A Long Movie Night with Family 27. This industrious girl I get to mother 28. My clutter free office at Starbucks
Grateful for each of you too,
FHB and Especially Me
P.S. Gratitude Journal FOR SALE: Never Used, FREE TO A GOOD HOME
P.S.S. I just loved this art quote made by The Wild Scrap….and the words are SO true.
“A memory of a day like today could get you through the rest of your life.” -Brad Paisley
