Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed — Even on the Hard Days
Sunday morning, I got up early because Charlie wanted to get donuts at Dunkin’ Donuts which we had been planning for a while. David gave us a Gift Card he had gotten at work. For my family it’s the little things in life that make a morning special, and I was looking forward to getting out of the house with him and spending a little time together before we started our day.
Now, I have to tell you, the man behind the counter was kind of a jerk. Charlie thought he was kidding around, but I’m not entirely convinced. Maybe he was just trying to be funny. I suppose I have to give him the benefit of the doubt because, Lord knows, working with the public isn’t always easy.
I’ve worked with the public. I’ve done that job, worn the T-shirt, and bought the shoes. And I can tell you one thing: I ain’t putting those shoes back on again! No way, no how! How about you? Have you ever worked in retail? If so how did it go and do you have any tips for Charlie as he looks for a job?
The donuts were really good, though, and the lady behind the counter was wonderful. She helped Charlie sort through the different coffee choices and figure out what he wanted. So, perhaps the gentleman was just having a moment of his own. We all have those days, don’t we?
Sometimes it’s worth remembering that we don’t know what somebody else is dealing with. That doesn’t mean we have to like their behavior, but perhaps we can leave a little room for grace. After all, if I expect people to give me grace, I need to be willing to offer some, too.
After our donut run, we came home, and Charlie went to sleep. He slept most of the day again, and I’ll be honest: that bothered me. I’m concerned because he still hasn’t found a job, and Wednesday is coming up quickly. He needs to get his driver’s license, and that costs money.
Unfortunately, money doesn’t grow on trees, and I haven’t figured out how to make it fall out of the sky yet! I had gotten up early with the intention of going DoorDashing with Charlie.But again he choose to stay up all night and sleep all day even though I said I would put my work on hold to help him out.
Since Charlie wouldn’t get up I went to work. Although, Sunday is my day to binge-watch my shows and take a little break from everything else. But yesterday, I got busy working on Greatful Moments, and before I knew it, it was three o’clock. Then I looked up again, and it was five!
Oh my goodness. Dinner wasn’t done, and I had no idea when David would be home. Of course, I should have known better. David has been working long shifts, and once again, he didn’t walk through the door until after seven o’clock. Meanwhile, somebody needed to figure out dinner.
When David called to check on me he told Charlie he needed to cook which wasn’t going to happen. Instead of arguing over dinner I just stopped what I was doing and went down to make dinner myself. As I was going out the bedroom door I told Charlie to come downstairs, and help me make dinner.
The eye rolls began and the I will be there is a minute came. I didn’t let that stop me I went on down and got busy. I threw some pork chops into the oven, sprinkled them with Kinder’s All-Purpose Seasoning, put water on the stove, grabbed the cheese for the mashed potatoes, and opened a can of Mexi Corn.
The corn went into the microwave, the pork chops went into the oven, and the rest came together. Within about 30 minutes, we had dinner. It wasn’t fancy, and nobody was going to mistake me for a cooking-show celebrity, but we had a meal on the table. And you know what? I was grateful, thankful, and blessed.
Because Charlie stayed downstairs and helped me. He helped throw away the trash, opened some packages, set timers, and even got the pork chops out of the oven for me so I wouldn’t drop them. That last part was especially helpful. Sometimes we need another set of hands, and yesterday, Charlie was there to help me when I needed him.
I thanked the Lord for that. It didn’t solve all my concerns about his future, his job search, or Wednesday’s driver’s license appointment. But it was a good moment, and I want to acknowledge those good moments, too. Then I came back up to work and later on Charlie brought me dinner because I hadn’t taken time to eat and I was grateful, thankful and blessed for that. I just wish he had remembered my Tea.
This morning, Charlie woke me up early and asked if I wanted to go get a soda.
I tsaid if we get one now we can’t get one when we went DoorDashing. Charlie said okay and since it wasn’t 8am yet he went back and laid down even though I was ready to go Door Dashing. He asked me to wake him up at 11. Well, here we are, and it’s now noon.
I worked past 11, which was my fault because I got busy and lost track of time. But I’ve tried to wake him up, and he isn’t getting up. And I’m sitting here wondering what in the world he is going to do about Wednesday. I’m done waking someone up that will not get up I have my own work to do and it comes first.
I’ve been thinking about helping him with half the money for his driver’s license. I want him to have his license and be able to move forward. I want him to find a job and start building his future. But I also think he needs to take responsibility around the house.
I need the stairs done. I need the bathroom picked up. There are things that need doing, and I would like to see him take the initiative to do them without my having to keep asking. The problem is that I’m not even sure he’d do those things if I offered him the money. So now I’m questioning whether I should offer it at all.
As a mother, you want to help your children. You want to make things easier for them when you can. You want to see them succeed, and sometimes you want to step in and save them from having to struggle. But at some point, helping someone has to include allowing them to take responsibility for their own choices.
I don’t have all the answers. I’m still trying to figure out where the line is between helping and doing too much. I love my son, and I want the best for him. I also know that I cannot make every decision for him, and I cannot build his future for him. At some point, he has to decide what he wants that future to look like. And Wednesday isn’t getting any farther away!
Yesterday wasn’t just about donuts, dinner, and trying to get Charlie moving. While I was working, my sister called. I wasn’t on Facebook, so I didn’t see her call. Then my brother hollered up to me from downstairs to tell me that my nephew’s grandfather had passed away.
That news was hard to hear. He had been part of Suzanne’s life for such a long time, and he was someone I admired. Finding out that another person connected to those memories is gone brings up feelings that are difficult to explain. Which is leading to me struggling today.
Losing Suzanne changed my life forever. There are people who become part of our family’s story, people who are woven into the memories we carry, and when they pass away, it can feel as though another little piece of that time is gone. Another little piece of her is gone and one day there will be nothing left.
It reminds you of the people you’ve loved, the years that have passed, and all the moments you wish you could revisit. This has been a hard year, and sometimes it feels as though the difficult news just keeps coming. I called my friend Debbie and told her I was canceling the whole week. She agreed with me. Then she said we should cancel the whole year! And honestly? I agreed with that, too.
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just put a sign on the door that says, “Sorry, folks. We’re closed for the rest of the year. Please come back when life gets its act together!” Of course, life doesn’t work that way. Responsibilities don’t disappear just because we’re tired, and grief doesn’t follow a convenient schedule.
But sometimes we need to admit that we’ve had enough for a while. We need a little breathing room, a little peace, and a chance to catch our breath before the next thing comes along. I’m learning that I can acknowledge how hard something is without having to pretend I’m okay with it. And I’m learning that it’s all right to take things one day at a time and to put myself first.
Now, in the middle of all this, there are some good things happening, too. I received new clients yesterday, and I got a lot of work done. I’ve been up this morning, made my coffee, and already accomplished quite a bit. I’ve also been working on our giveaway which I’m excited about.
A couple of people I really thought would step up and participate decided not to. Of course, that was disappointing. When you’re trying to build something, you get excited about the possibilities. You imagine what people might contribute and how you can bring everything together to create something special for your readers.
Then somebody says no, and you have to adjust your plans. But here’s the thing: two new businesses have come forward and said they want to participate! And that is something to celebrate. Sometimes the people you expect to help aren’t the ones who show up. Sometimes the Lord opens a door through somebody you weren’t expecting.
So I’m praying and believing that more opportunities will come our way today. And honestly, whether it’s giveaway items, books for review, or other opportunities to work with businesses, I’m open to seeing where things lead. Greatful Moments is a growing project, and I know we’re not going to get where we want to go by sitting still and waiting for everything to happen.
We have to keep working, keep reaching out, keep building relationships, and keep giving people a reason to want to work with us. Every opportunity matters. Every connection matters. And sometimes a little bit of encouragement arrives just when you need i as long as we don’t give up.
One of those encouraging moments came from the gentleman at Six Flags. He reached back out and said he would have us out for Holiday in the Park. Now, that might sound like a big thing to some people, but it means more to me than you know and it shows me someone does like the work I’m doing.
When you’re working to grow a website, trying to build relationships, and putting yourself out there, hearing from somebody who wants to work with you makes a difference. It reminds you that your work is being noticed and that the possibilities are still there. I’m excited about the opportunity, and I’m grateful that he reached back out.
I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do with it and sharing more holiday experiences with our readers. This is one of the reasons I keep working on Greatful Moments, even when I’m tired and even when life throws me a few curveballs. I want to create a place where families can discover experiences, find things to do, learn about books and products, and make memories together.
I want to share the little things, the big things, and the things that make us stop and say, “That was worth it!” And I want to continue building relationships with businesses that see the value in sharing those experiences with our readers. So, yes, I am grateful for that message from Six Flags. Sometimes one good piece of news can brighten an otherwise difficult day.
There was another thing that happened yesterday that has been weighing on my mind. While I was working, I had to stop what I was doing and help my brother with something online. Now, don’t ask me why he couldn’t ask my sister. Somehow, it fell on me. And that’s the part that gets frustrating.
It seems that when somebody needs something, I am expected to stop whatever I’m doing and take care of it. I can be working on an article, trying to finish a project, or attempting to get something accomplished, and suddenly I’m supposed to drop everything because somebody else needs help.
I don’t mind helping people. I really don’t. But sometimes I want to ask, “When is somebody going to stop what they’re doing and help me?” When do I get to be the one who needs a hand? When do I get to say I’m overwhelmed and have somebody else step up?
I have responsibilities at home, work to do for Greatful Moments, family matters to deal with, and my own feelings to sort through. I don’t always have extra time or energy sitting around waiting for somebody else to need something. And while I’m grateful that I can help when I am able, I also recognize that I cannot keep carrying everything.
People have to start stepping up. That’s all I’m going to say about that because, as I reminded myself yesterday, some things aren’t my story to tell. But I can tell my own story, and part of my story is learning that being willing to help others doesn’t mean I must always be the one who does the helping. There has to be room for me, too.
So today, instead of fussing, grumbling, worrying, and stressing over everything I cannot control, I’m going to put it in the Lord’s hands. That doesn’t mean I suddenly have all the answers. I don’t. I still have concerns about Charlie and his driver’s license. I still have work to finish. I still have family matters that bother me, and I still have grief that can catch me off guard.
I also have bills, responsibilities, and the everyday business of keeping a household running. And sometimes I get tired of being the person who has to figure everything out. But I know that worrying about every single thing isn’t going to make it better all its going to do is upset me and that isn’t happening anymore.
I can pray for guidance. I can ask God to help me recognize which things are mine to handle and which things I need to release. I can keep doing the work in front of me without trying to solve every problem in my life before lunchtime. I can also remember that I don’t have to be perfect. I don’t have to have a perfectly planned day. And I certainly don’t have to pretend that everything is wonderful when it isn’t.
Faith doesn’t mean we never have difficult days. Sometimes faith is simply getting up, making the coffee, doing the work, and trusting that the Lord will help us through whatever comes next. So that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to get back to work, because if I sit here worrying about everything, nothing is going to get done today. And that ain’t happening in this house, buttercup!
Now, before I finish, we need to talk about dinner. I put the other package of pork chops back in the freezer because I made one package yesterday, and I really don’t feel like eating pork chops again tonight. I would make a peanut butter sandwich, except there’s no bread.
So, at this point, I’m looking around and wondering what we’re going to eat.
Were like Old Mother Hubbard, and the cupboard will be bare! I’m frustrated because feeding a family takes planning, money, and time. It cannot fall entirely on David, and the responsibility for making sure everyone has what they need shouldn’t fall entirely on one person, either.
I know we need to look at options when money gets tight, including food assistance and food banks when necessary. There is no shame in asking for help when a family needs it. But I also know that I cannot magically make everything happen by myself. I can only do what I can do with what I have.
And today, I’m choosing not to let the dinner dilemma take over the entire day. We’ll figure out what we can do, just as we always do. I may not have the answers right this minute, but I don’t need to solve every problem at once. Sometimes we just have to take a breath, look at what’s in front of us, and figure out the next step.
As I sit here with my coffee and look at everything happening around me, I’m reminded that life can be messy. People disappoint us. Plans change. Family responsibilities pile up. We lose people we care about, and some days we wonder how much more we can handle. But blessings still show up.
Sometimes they arrive in the form of a helpful employee at Dunkin’ Donuts. Sometimes they look like a son helping his mother get dinner out of the oven. Sometimes they come through two unexpected businesses that want to participate in a giveaway. And sometimes they arrive as a message from Six Flags that reminds us why we keep working toward our dreams. The hard things are real, but so are the blessings.
Today, I am choosing to focus on what I can do rather than everything I wish other people would do. I am choosing to keep building Greatful Moments, to appreciate the people who are willing to work with me, and to give myself permission to feel what I feel without letting those feelings take over the entire day.
I’m still going to worry about my family because that’s what mothers do. I’m still going to miss Suzzane. I’m still going to wish that some people would step up without being asked. But I’m also going to keep moving forward on step at a time just like the Little Engine Who Could.
I’m going to pray, work, take things one step at a time, and trust the Lord to help me sort through the things I cannot control. Because even on the days when nothing goes according to plan, there is still something to be grateful for. And today, I am grateful, thankful, and blessed for another day, another opportunity to work toward my dreams, and another chance to see what God has in store.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do. And I really need to figure out what’s for dinner! Or do I. Honestly they can just fend for themselves or starve. At this point I honestly don’t care what happens as long as they leave me a long and stay out of my office so I can work in PEACE.
What about you? Have you ever had one of those days when everybody seemed to need something from you, your plans went sideways, and you just wanted to cancel the whole week? How do you find your way back to gratitude when life feels overwhelming? I’d love to hear your thoughts. Until next time, may you find a reason to smile, a blessing to count, and a little reminder that even the hardest days don’t get the final word.
Grateful, Thankful, Blessed.
GratefulMoments.com
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
