The Gratitude Journal

I Am Thankful for People Like Kerry Collins

For anyone who isn’t familiar with the Tennessee Titans, Kerry Collins is playing quarterback this year and as of this moment the Titans are undefeated this year, 10-0.  Well, that’s about as good as it gets for a professional football team this time of the year. 

While the record is all the talk, I am most impressed with Kerry Collins.  For quite a few years now, Kerry Collins has been the backup quarterback, most recently to Vince Young.  I’m not going to judge Young.  He is young and the responsibility that comes with the opportunity to be a starting quarterback is huge.  However, when Young went… well, let’s say “tilt” early in the season, Kerry Collins was called upon to step up to the starting position.  There were no guarantees that came with his call to lead the team.  In fact, according to the press Collins was told that he could start as long as he was winning.

Collins has been winning.  In fact, he hasn’t lost yet this year.  I don’t want to cast a shadow on the team, but I have no great expectations of the team going the season without a loss.  But, the point I want to make is all about Kerry Collins.  He has had his share of ups and downs, on the field and off.  But, he never gave up.  And, he is taking advantage of an opportunity that was waiting for him.  It is so rewarding to see someone who perseveres in the face of adversity and comes up a winner.  Collins is just that.  He is a winner.

Well, so much for my football watching for the day.  I am excited for the Titans, but I am thankful for the example people like Kerry Collins sets for the youngsters.  It is terrific for kids to see that you may not be on top, or number one all the time but that working towards a goal is worth the effort it takes and will be rewarded.  So, for now… Go Titans!  And, thank you, Kerry Collins for being a positive example of what a man can become when he works for what he wants.

And, by the way… we love Albert Haynesworth!

I Am Thankful for a Clean Kitchen

It started with the pantry but before the afternoon was over the entire kitchen was spotless.  What a wonderful feeling!

As I mentioned yesterday our neighborhood pledged to clean out the pantries today.  The sound of steady rain drops outside made it easy to stay in and do some cleaning.  I was amazed at how many cans I had that I didn’t even know were in the pantry and on the shelves. 

I have always prided myself on being “somewhat” organized, but I was shocked at the number of duplicate cans of vegetables and other products.  What happened over time was that I filled up the pantry and then apparently I decided to begin putting new products on the shelves in the kitchen.  Well, my pantry looked like a mini-market.  I have no idea what I thought I was going to do with some of the stuff. 

Let’s face it, we have a freezer full of vegetables that we “put up” during the end of the summer harvest season.  Please tell me why I had cans of beans and other vegetables.  They must have been on sale or something.  Or, maybe I’m becoming one of those old people who hoard cans of food as if I may find myself in a starvation mode one day.  I was almost embarrassed at the number of cans I removed from my shelves.

Maggie popped in for a break and a cup of coffee.  Happy soon followed.  The get together, although impromptu, sounded like a confession of sorts.  By the time, Maggie and Happy dropped by each of us had a garbage bag full of cans.  Imagine that!  We had to call some of the neighborhood teenagers to carry the goods to Happy’s garage.

As the rain fell, we began stacking the cans in the bed of J.D.’s pickup truck.  Who would have believed that just six families could fill one truck!  Of course, we will admit that not all families had so much to donate.  Everyone in the neighborhood didn’t have so much.  Families with kids seem to go through the food products much faster than some of us who have only AARP-ers to feed.  But, every family has cans to donate.

I guess I am always amazed at the good feelings that come from putting forth the effort to do something for someone.  Sometimes it is really hard to get started, but the effort pays off.

Anyway, now that I have cleaned out the pantry and the shelves, Jason and Amber… I think she is his “new” girlfriend, although he hasn’t said so yet… anyway, they decided to clean my kitchen.  So, right now they are scrubbing the cabinets inside and out and using the stepladder to reach those areas I all too often ignore.

Well, this has been a great day.  The neighborhood is putting together food for those who need it and I am getting a spotless kitchen.  Let it rain, let it rain, let it ran!

It’s a Clean the Pantry Weekend

There have been many stories on the television and in the news about food banks being in need of food.  This weekend our neighborhood is having a “Clean the Pantry” event.  It is rainy here and it looks as if the weekend is going to be one that will keep us inside for the most part.  It would be too easy to get lazy with little outside activity.

Rainy weekends are always great times for cleaning.  I have to admit that cleaning isn’t one of my favorite things.  But, somehow over coffee with a couple of neighbors this morning we found a way to make it a little more meaningful.  We have already passed out fliers and made a few phone calls.  So far, over thrity families have committed to cleaning out the pantries tomorrow. 

Most of us have cans in our pantries or on our kitchen shelves that we have forgotten about.  You know, there are always those purchases that get pushed to the back of the shelf and we forget about them… that is unless you are one of those super-organized people who rotate your shelves weekly.  Oh, God!  That tires me to think about.  But, anyway, we are all going to clean out our cabinets this weekend. 

The purpose isn’t so much to make our neighborhood the cleanest or the most organized in the country.  The real purpose is to pull those canned goods from our shelves, those that we have forgotten about.  We are going to put all our extra canned goods in Happy’s garage for sorting before we take them to the Food Bank.

Most of us realize that no one family has enough to make a real difference at the Food Bank, but we are betting that with 30 families taking part in the activity we will have enough cans to fill one full shelf.  I guess it’s like killing two birds with one stone.  We have cleaned out cabinets.  The Food Bank gets some desperately needed food.  And, in the long run maybe a family or two will have a meal that they otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford.

I know it’s a small gesture and it certainly doesn’t take too much effort on our part.  But, it is the small things that mean the most.  I’m thankful that one of the neighbors thought of this.  Perhaps this is something you can do in your neighborhood, too.

I Am Thankful for My Gratitude Journal

It should come as no surprise, I love my Gratitude Journal.  I love writing in my journal, not so much to let all the readers what is going on in my world as to remind myself that there is so much good in the world that I could take for granted.  I’m not so vain as to think that anyone in Internet-land is sitting on the edge of his seat, waiting to find out what we are doing in our little part of the world.  But, I do hope some of the readers enjoy the little things in our lives that are now making a big difference.

I don’t live in Wonderland.  There are certainly days when I get up and would prefer to go back to be and cover up my head.  There are some afternoons when I would love to slip off into my room and wish myself into another universe.  Life isn’t always easy… even for those of us who find a little gratitude every day.

I write my gratitude journal because no matter what happens during my day I believe I can find something to be thankful for.  There is always something that makes me smile during the course of the day.  Admittedly, I am surrounded with so many people that I know one of them will create a smile for me.  And, as someone emailed me, if he had so many happy people in his life he would be grateful, too.

To that person and anyone else who may be thinking our neighborhood “just happened” I must say that it didn’t.  The kids constantly being in the yard is a rather new phenomena.  They have always been around.  They just didn’t stay so long!  But, as some of them have gotten older they have discovered that some of us have more time to help them with their projects.

I didn’t begin writing the Gratitude Journal online as an instruction manual or an advice column.  That certainly isn’t my mission.  Maggie seems to be handling that rather well so I will leave that up to her expertise.  And, of course, I suggest to any reader that if you find yourself overwhelmed by the times we are experiencing, Maggie has a few helpful hints.  She is a straight talker, so be prepared as she says to “face the truth.”

For me personally, and now for most of the neighborhood, there is something to be thankful for each and every day.  Sometimes you have to look for it.  I don’t live in a vacuum.  I know that times are difficult.  However, I find that it is always helpful to find the good in the day.

The Gratitude Journal is my reminder that life always has something wonderful to offer.  Sometimes I find something really big.  Most days I look for the little things that we take for granted.  All too often we have a tendency to surf above the little things, but if you think about it without the little things the big things wouldn’t matter.

Today I am thankful for my Gratitude Journal and the abundance of good things for which I am thankful.