Gratitude Challenge - Day 1

10 Physical Abilities You are Grateful for:

1. Healthy Body - I currently have a cold, so this is actually on my mind quite a bit today.  I don't get sick often though and when I do get sick I recover quickly.  My body is amazing.  I remember my dad always pointing out to me how cool it was that my body could heal itself when it had a cut or bruise or whatever.  It really is cool!  So, while I'm not indestructible, my body is healthy and knows how to repair itself when something comes along and throws a kink in its usually perfectly functioning rhythms. 

2. Motherhood - Another friend of mine is also doing this challenge on her blog and she posted about her easy pregnancies and how she is so grateful for that.  Mine aren't quite as picture perfect as hers (she doesn't get sick or even get really big...lucky duck) but I do get pregnant easily and have never had the sorrow of losing a child through miscarriage or at a later time.  And despite morning (all day) sickness and some typical aches and pains that I'm not a huge fan of, I have textbook perfect pregnancies.  I have always wanted to be a mom as far back as I can remember, and I know that many struggle to receive the blessing of motherhood  and I try to be extra grateful that it has come to my life so readily.

  

3. Coordination - I'm no star athlete or prima ballerina, but I have been involved in many sports (clogging and tennis are my favorites) throughout my lifetime and I generally pick up new kinesthetic skills with ease.  

4. Strength - Again, nothing most would seem noteworthy, but I consider myself a very strong person.  Maybe mentally more so than physically, but I have given birth to two babies without medication, so my body obviously has a fair amount of gusto in it.  I would love to run a half marathon (dare I say a full?) someday, but I haven't convinced the physical side of me that it's possible yet.  Someday, though, someday...

5. Vision - I'm not talking about by eyesight, although that's on my list too...getting there.  This is more of my artistic vision.  I have a strong sense of visual spacial aspects.  When I am working on a project or thinking about working on a project I can usually see everything down to the last tiny detail clearly in my mind.  I'm obviously not so good at explaining my visions though, because I often get the "You want to do what?" look from friends and family members only to do the project anyway and be met with "Wow, that turned out really nice!"  Always the tone of surprise.  One day, maybe people will stop questioning my vision and just roll with it.  

6. Crafty Capabilities - Anyone who knows me well, knows that this is my passion.  I love to create!!  My mom is a master quilter and she began teaching me quilting basics when I was 12 or 13.  I've made a number of quilts since then and with the exception of matching a point on triangles or a little pucker here and there, I have a natural knack for quilting.  Maybe when my kids are grown and I have time to be bored (ha, what is that?) I can make quilts all the time like my mom, until then, I will sketch, plan and delegate cute quilts for her to make my kids and me.  I don't just quilt though, I love my sewing machine for all sorts of other sewing crafts (except clothes, making clothes still scares me, not that I couldn't do it, but that I might spend a lot of time on something and then not love how it fits...scary thought) and I am a master with a glue gun.  I make hair bows and home decor and whatever else pops into my brain.

7. How Children Develop - Having had babies of my own, I have sat in awe and how perfect those little beings are.  They come to this earth with the basic reflexes needed to survive with a generous, full-time caregiver.  From there, they gradually learn everything they need to know and do to be independent and self-sufficient.  They learn to crawl, walk, feed themselves and talk all within the first years of life.  From there they learn more gross and fine motor skills and develop the ability to read, study and reason.  I love watching life and this world unfold through my children's eyes.

8. Musical Abilities - I have a pretty good singing voice and I do know how to play the clarinet and some basic piano, so although I have some capabilities in this area, I really appreciate others' musical talents more than my own.  My sister is an amazing (like seriously amazing) pianist.  She has little children and lots of other obligations and doesn't get to play very much now, but when we were growing up she practiced over an hour every day.  Good stuff too, classics.  I loved it then, but I definitely took it for granted.  What I wouldn't give to have a real live person playing a real live piano at my house everyday.  Until then, Pandora will just have to do.  

9. Basic Body Functions - You know, ears that hear, eyes that see, a heart that pumps, lungs that inhale and exhale, etc.  So many things about my body just happen; I don't have to think about them.  But by them I am able to fully enjoy so many of the other things I am grateful for.  

10. My Eyes and Hair - These are kind of a stretch as they aren't really physical abilities, but rather attributes.  Either way, I am really grateful for gorgeous dark brown eyes and silky soft, yet surprisingly strong hair.  I would be very sad to lose either of these.