My cup runneth over . . .
Today I woke up in a s
oft bed in a room heated to the perfect temperature. I walked down my front staircase into a beautiful and spacious kitchen and hit a button on a Kreurig coffee maker which delivered me a hot cup of gourmet coffee in less than a minute. As I sipped my coffee, I soaked up my surroundings beyond the portals of my eyes into my satisfied soul. My heart swelled with gratitude. I said “thank you” in my mind to whoever might be listening to my thoughts. Then I took it one step further.
My husband joined me on the couch to enjoy our morning coffee. He placed his hand over my knees. I reached out and took his hand in mine and began to share what I was enjoying in the moment. First, I pointed out all the beautiful material things surrounding us that make our daily lives more comfortable and enjoyable…the grand piano, the painting of Portifino above the hearth, the vaulted foyer with sunlight streaming through the windows. He agreed we were truly blessed. “Yes, we are blessed,” I said. “But what I really want you to know is how thankful I am for you and how hard you work to provide for all of us. I know how demanding your job can be and I just don’t want you to think I take it or you for granted.” His voice filled with emotion.
“You have NO idea how much that means to me for you to say that,” he said. “I certainly don’t get that kind of feedback in my job..if anything, the opposite. My daily life is filled with contentiousness – dealing with customers, pissed off employees, pressures from all sides…some days I feel like I’m just getting pummeled by the world. You telling me thank you is like an emotional oasis – a place of solace where I can just relax and enjoy the sunshine and be peaceful.” And..”you’re welcome,” he says with a smile.
It was such a simple thing, so little in the grand scheme of things, but yet made such a huge impact on my husband’s psyche. I guess the “thank you’s” for the big things are expected, but not always that special. What I learned is that expressing gratitude to someone for what they do and who they are shows you are paying attention. I’m so happy I chose to speak my mind. ♥
DailyPerspectives.com 
Loved this, Alison!
Kelly, so glad you enjoyed this post. Thanks for following and please share some of your life experiences with us!
that is beautiful.
Thanks JB, I was inspired by you to explore the simple, yet profound.
It’s so important to tell those we love how much they mean to us…..thanks for reminding me!
Laura, as you know it is so easy to get so caught up in our daily routine that we sometimes overlook the little things that can literally make someone’s day. I love your comments and I really appreciate your support and involvement in LuvYa.com.
Blessed are those who work the grind that may allow their partners the time and energy to nourish the souls, spirits, and tummies of the family!
Amen!
I find that life is much richer when, like you, I stop for a moment to be grateful for what I have. And sometimes that means taking a different perspective on things. I recall during my early years of marriage that I would get so frustrated because my husband always left closet doors open. It was also a time in my life when, despite both of us working outside the home and raising a small child, I wanted more romantic gestures from him. The day I realized that he was, in fact, closing the doors to his closet was the day that I decided to interpret that as a romantic move on his part – and was grateful to have him show his love for me in a way that said “I hear you and I want to please you.” That was easily 30 or so years ago, and to this day I am grateful for this wonderful man and all that life together has brought us.
So cool! I have had many “closet door” demonstrations of love through the years, but I have to admit that it took us both many moons before we became fluent in each other’s love language. And yes, life became much richer!
Gratitude is everything. Thanks, Alison. xo
Gratitude is like a kiss… It is better when shared…