February 7th, 2024
Gratitude Journal
By Bonnie Tarantino
Last night I got into bed and just lay my head down on Scott’s bare chest.
I listened to his heart beat, grateful for it’s devotion to all that he loves and does.
It brought me into my heart. To Gratitude.
I love to sit in that chamber
The one where I notice the things that happened during the day.
The little things.
Like sitting on the couch and having Maya curl up next to me as the sun came fully up and lit up the soft oranges and yellows of the rug.
Like a hot shower and the act of blow drying my hair, having is soft against the back of my neck all day, orderly and straight at last under my warm hat.
Like sitting in a patch of sun on my friends/life coaches couch later that morning, with the women she has gathered and cued to share deeply from their hearts while we listened even deeper for nuggets of wisdom and clues to the sacred doors that are opening in our souls. To seeing the golden rays pour out of their hearts.
To calling an old friend in the car on the way home and having her answer and us talking so much that I forgot how I even got home.
To Water greeting me in the driveway like I am the second coming.
To finally organizing and putting things away that have sat out in some cases since Christmas.
And hearing the team of house cleaners come in the door announcing a respectful “Ola?” Carrying brooms, and vacuums and mops and bottles of homemade cleaning spray.
Like taking a walk with Walt and feeling the sun on my face, knowing that my home is being wiped, dusted, fluffed. Fresh sheets are being tucked into their proper tight corners.
Like deciding the house is too clean to cook and Sushi sounds good for dinner.
Like taking a moment to enjoy and notice that the flower arrangement I made is still alive though it has been almost a week.
Like watching the sun go down and realizing it is after 5:30 and will only get lighter and lighter, warmer and warmer.
Like stepping outside in the last of the light barefoot for three deep cold breaths and grounding.
Like having no clean up after dinner as I lick the soy sauce and ginger off my lips.
Like working on my presentation for Saturday’s Tarot class while Maya sits next to me typing and learning, creating faster than I ever could. We sip hot Bangle Spic tea and savor a piece of chocolate.
Like being inspired to add essential oils to the workshop and finding and opening the oil kit to smell the elemental world distilled into little brown bottles that hold secret universes of healing.
Like taking a hot bath with Epsom salts and adding more hot water and plumeria oil to stay in for longer.
Like ending up in bed next to this warm beautiful man who if I wanted to and kissed him just right, would roll over on top of me. I decide to wait…grateful for the sheer feeling of it building.
Instead I keep listening to his heart.. ticking off gratitudes with heavy lids and quieter long breaths.
This is how you keep a gratitude journal. Keep it simple. Keep it going and going in your heart. Every day, Every night… Let it be what occupies you. Let it be your obsession.
