The Red Carpet

My awesome husband has always had (to put it mildly) an optimistic point of view.  Through his eyes, God is constantly raining down blessings, and it’s up to us to recognize them.  He calls it his “Rolling out the Red Carpet” theory.  The way he sees it, God is always rolling out the red carpet, and Henry cannot help but feel blessed.  Whenever we have come up against trials or devastating news (i.e. my brain tumor, the loss of an income, infertility, etc), Henry has always paused to take a moment to run down the list of all the blessings in our lives (i.e. a beautiful home, each other, adorable kitty cats, etc).  He is somehow always able to do that.  Henry can inexplicably make himself feel better and use his uplifted attitude to stare at the situation in a more constructive way.  For example, whenever I get scared about upcoming infertility treatments, he stops me and says, “But think about how blessed we are that we live in a country that provides infertility treatments, and that we have good jobs and can pay for it!”  Imagine now, how irritating that is when you are a natural pessimist like me!  This has always been something I’ve struggled with, and even after 12 years of togetherness, it still does not come naturally to me.  It’s easier than it used to be, but I definitely have to work on it.  Today, I am feeling down.  I have felt fairly alone and frustrated by my body.  I still have not had a period since my tumor surgery over a year ago, and there is literally no explanation!  So, I’m using this as an opportunity to pause and thank God for the blessings.  So, thank you God for

…Henry and everything he’s been in my life.  I can’t believe I’ve been lucky enough to be with a man who is not only my best friend, but get’s me and all of my weirdness. 

…your grace and faithfulness

…my beautiful home and the space it provides for solace and rest at the end of the day

…my pretty kitty cats and all the fun and companionship they offer us (by the way…please be with Bella between the hours of 7:00am-5:30pm Mon-Fri and keep her furry butt off our kitchen table!)

…for our jobs and the financial freedom they provide

… for our Church.  After years of searching, it’s fantastic to finally have a place to call home.  On that note, thank you for our small group!  They are amazing people, and I cannot wait to get to know them better

…for our friends and all the love and support (AND FUN!!) they freely give us

…for our families

… for caffeinated beverages (especially from Biggby).  Caffeine love is the most beautiful thing Monday mornings!

…for hair dye and its amazing ability to cover gray hairs

There are many, many more, but I’m already feeling better for now!  I will continue to do this practice whenever I feel down.  And as I am a pessimist, I’m sure it won’t be too long until I need to do it again.