Wednesday Gratitude Week 1

During my brief meditation practice this evening, the thought crossed my mind of a number of things that I am truly grateful for having crossed my path.  The practice of documenting gratitude has been suggested to me in the past, and to date I have managed to skirt that recommendation.  My reasons for skirting that recommendation are not very defensible, so tonight I'll embark on what I plan to make a weekly habit on Wednesdays of documenting things that I am grateful for experiencing.

Anacostia River just before Sunrise

I am grateful that no one is reading this journal because it saves me from having to explain the reasons for including a photo of the same scene day after day. The reasons are multifaceted, but it all boils down to the feeling that it something that I should be doing right now without really knowing why that particular idea has stuck with me.

I'm grateful that the idea of walking long(ish) distances that developed about four years ago was eventually translated into action. The rationalization for that action at the time was to convince myself that what I was thinking about was not a very good idea. The thinking was a compulsion. The action has turned into one of the most rewarding experiences of my life to date.

I'm grateful for my relationship with Rory Conlan.  I wish at times he'd take a more active role in documenting our shared journey over the last several years, but I know he has his own reasons for delaying that action and I have faith that his participation in this shared journey is unfolding just as it should be unfolding.

I'm grateful for second (and third and fourth chances) of trying to get the complications of truly living down correctly. I have been fortunate enough to have been born into a very setback tolerant culture where taking risk is actually encouraged more than it's punished.  I've come to believe this is one of the true "secrets" to achieving what externally looks like success in this society. It also is an enabler of true success that may or may not align with the commonly accepted definition.

Capitol Building with Freedom being loosed from her scaffolding confinement

I'm grateful that I can stand on the shoulders of the giants who came before me.  Those bold men and women forged the great cities, states, counties, and country out of a vast and imposing wilderness and have facilitated my access to wealth and knowledge and opportunity that was beyond the wildest imagination they might have had when they built the framework from which this bounty flowed forth.

It's another great day, and I'm grateful to have lived it.