Racing the rain and counting my blessings

Last Friday, I was looking forward to a weekend of long but wonderful days putting up Christmas decorations. I had cleared the schedule, put gas in the car, and was ready for the festivities!

The weather and my garden, however, had other plans. Friday night, I learned that Saturday would be the last warm day of the season, and the rains were coming. For a desert dweller, that sounded delightful—except for one small detail. I had four huge basil plants bursting with fragrance and flavor, and they would immediately lose their potency when the weather turned cool. So I set aside plans to rest Friday night and instead hauled boxes of Christmas decorations from storage. It was clear that Saturday was going to be dedicated to the “farm!”

Saturday morning felt like a day out of heaven. The yard was bursting with life. Winter grass felt like a soft green carpet. Roses were blooming. Marigolds filled my planter boxes, and the sweet potato vines were just starting to blossom. The basil was at its peak. It was a perfect day for an herbal harvest!

At first I was dainty. I cut the basil stems carefully, washed them tenderly, and set them aside to fulfill their purpose of becoming pesto. But as the blue skies gave way to darker storm clouds, I knew I was racing ahead of the rain!The dainty harvest turned into power-hacking as I chopped huge woody stems and tossed them onto a clean sheet I’d set up in my family room. In no time, I had a gigantic pile of basil branches in the house.

I raced to cut the other three plants as the cool winds began to blow, carrying the scent of rain. Still moving at warp speed, I cut four vasefuls of beautiful roses that would have wilted and brought them inside. As the rains began to fall, I gathered the last of the marigold blossoms and ran into the house.

I had to laugh. Decorations were out of their boxes, covering every inch of floor space. Ornaments were piled on chairs. Lights were everywhere. And in the middle of my family room, surrounded by cozy glowing lights and with rain falling from the now-blackened skies outside, was a mountain of basil waiting for my attention.

Part of me was aiming towards overwhelm, unsure how I’d get the decorations up and process that much basil in the next two days. So I sat for a moment and surveyed the beautiful chaos. And then I blessed the mess.

Glorious rain poured from the heavens as the desert and my yard rejoiced. My house smelled like an Italian kitchen. I wanted to roll in that pile of basil like a horse in the pasture and let it perfume me. The thought made me laugh. Lost in appreciation again, I sat down with cookie trays and pruning shears and began trimming basil.

One fragrant batch at a time, the leaves were washed, blanched, spun dry, and mixed with pine nuts, parmesan, garlic, and olive oil. It was all I could do not to overindulge in the bounty. Hours later, the freezer was full, the mess was blessed, and I proceeded to enjoy putting up decorations until the wee hours of the next morning.  After a brief sleep, I was back on the ladder pulling down more boxes. Somehow, it all got done.

I practice appreciation all the time. I’m grateful by nature, but when life throws a curve or someone or something is being difficult, I play a game that I simply call “Counting my blessings.” I challenge myself to acknowledge every little thing in front of me or around me that I can appreciate. It never fails me. Within minutes, I have perspective, appreciation, and a better vibe that allows life to flow again.

I don’t try to appreciate the difficult things. I look for what I can easily and authentically feel grateful for. The goal is to raise the vibration and see the good the moment has to offer. It works every time. Overwhelm melts away. Ideas flow more easily. And I tap back into the love that’s always waiting for us.

Here are a few tips to return to appreciation when life isn’t making it easy

1.  Look for even the smallest things to appreciate

Last year, I appreciated my cozy socks so much that a dear friend overloaded me with fuzzy footwear for Christmas! I love the warm steam that smells like ginger when I brew tea. I love the way the morning sun sneaks through the shutters and how it dances on my kitchen sink in the afternoon.

These things are small, maybe insignificant when compared to life’s challenges or the world’s problems, but appreciation elevates us regardless of the object of our attention. When we focus on appreciation, it doesn’t matter what we’re appreciating—it’s the energy that matters.

2. Don’t fake it

Appreciation only helps if you truly feel it. If not, slow down and let it in.
Years ago, when people weren’t so kind, I tried to fake appreciation, but it wasn’t authentic. I found a more honest appreciation for my dog, who seemed to have infinite patience with me when I needed it most. The misdeeds of others faded as I buried my face in my furry friend with genuine gratitude. Filled with love and appreciation for this beautiful being, the vibe always shifted. Soon, my dogs and I would be having “smile-fests”, as in “Who could smile bigger?” which led to selfies and unabashed laughter..

Even the smallest moment of true appreciation can be transcendent.

3. Take the time to express gratitude

You can share a kind, appreciative thought with someone in your life, or even with an object.

Today, I thanked my eggs for being such perfect little shapes and blessed the chickens who laid them. I appreciated the puffy clouds, the chill in the air after the rain, and the sunshine that made the plants, still heavy with raindrops, glisten like diamonds. I couldn’t help but say, “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” to Mother Nature.

As we express our appreciation, we send beautiful energy out into the world and feel it first flowing through ourselves.

There is plenty on this earth and in our personal lives that we won’t feel great about. But if we look, we can find so much to appreciate. Some days it’s the big things—a promotion, retirement, a new grandchild. Other days, it’s the simplest of pleasures.

In any case, appreciation is a gift we give ourselves and a blessing to the world.

Wishing you all a beautiful week. I am grateful for your dedication to the light and to a life lived with greater love.