Staying Grateful

Today I was going to write a whiny post all about how I only managed to run for 20 minutes yesterday, and how much I hate restricting my caloric intake. Then, while reading my blog subscriptions, I ran across a wonderful post by MizFit on gratitude. It was a beautiful post, wonderfully written, and it got me thinking about gratitude myself.

As I said in the comments on MizFitOnline.com, every workout I do is a blessing. The ability to walk, to run, to shimmy and shake, to do a pull up (even if I need assistance), all of it is a blessing.

My mother has Multiple Sclerosis, she was diagnosed when I was very young, and as I grew up I watched it steal her ability to move. My Mother was an avid hiker when she was younger, and her favorite story to tell is about when she hiked up Mt. Washington, not knowing there was a road up the back. When the finally reached the top, they were greeted by two typical tourists, one of them turned to the other and said "Oh My God Look! It's a GIRL!" the other one then looked at my mother and asked "Could you go back down a bit so we can get your picture coming up?" To which my mother replied, "Down?! You want me to go Down?! I've been going Up for the past week and you want me to go Down?!"

My mother was also a Belly Dancer, as a hobby if not a profession. After my first belly dancing class I called my mother, coincidentally that day also happened to be her birthday. As grateful as I am to be able to move, I am also grateful that I still have my Mother. She is an extraordinary woman who remains positive and grateful despite all that's been taken from her. I am also grateful for my Father, who is an electrical wizard. He's turned my parents house into a command center for my Mother, who can control the door, the telephone and the lights from her computer, and who can control her computer using voice commands.

I have amazing parents. I am eternally grateful.

What are you grateful for?

-Meg