Gratitude Journal #147

Today, I am grateful for yesterday's incredibly smooth road trip home from Maryland, where the boys and I were visiting my mom, sister, and her family.

Today, I am grateful for our annual pilgrimage to see my family, for time spent talking about everything and nothing, and eating wonderful food, and enjoying each other's company in cool places like the Mall in Washington, the National Aquarium, and my sister's back yard around a fire.


Today, I am grateful for George's welcome-home dinner (yum!), for the clean kitchen, and for Daisy's crazy welcome that knocked me on my butt.

Today, I am grateful for monuments because they help us remember. There are lots of monuments in Washington, but one of my favorites is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The power of a list of names on a black wall, a wall that grows taller until it eventually towers over your head and then diminishes again as you walk out the other side...well, how can anyone walk through it and not be moved?

How big would such walls be for each of the World Wars and the American Civil War? How big would they be if all the names of all the dead on both sides of those three wars were included?

Today, I am grateful for a photo, one that acknowledges the sacrifices our military makes, one that brought a tear to my eye when someone shared it on FaceBook....

Leaving his newborn to deploy

Today, I am grateful that the peace and prosperity and freedom we have in America allowed me to meet an internet friend in real life. Hi, Joan!

Today, I am grateful that there were more people in the DC area who wanted to see me, whom I wanted to see, than I had time to meet up with. I hope I can stay longer next year and see Rhonda, Ray, and Veronica, too!

Today, I am grateful for rain.

Today, I am grateful for Sally Ride.

Today, I am grateful for the outpouring of love and compassion following the Aurora shooting. May justice be served and healing come.

What are you grateful for today?