So…what have y’all been up to over the Easter weekend?  Did you go for a bike ride? Did you have an Easter brunch? Or did you go out to the beach to sit in the sun? Common things you’d say; things we like to do. Things we take for granted at times. Things we may get annoyed about when other happenings block their opportunity. Basically what I am getting at is how many times are you really aware of the blessings you have in your life? Are you consuming what is offered? Or are you cherishing it? In three simple words:

Are You Grateful?

I’ve been working on the gratitude theme lately by writing down at the end of the day, what I have experienced that day to be grateful for.  I find it lightens up my life. I have to admit there are days where nothing is scribbled at the pages. Days where I find it hard to summon up the energy. Days where my joints ache and my muscles refuse to cooperate, while I still wanted to paint that one wall; or needed to get all that shopping. Days where my Spirit is gloomy and wants nothing but binge-watch a series or binge-read books.  But I guess those days make me human; and if I had the stamina I should actually write down in my agenda that I am grateful for those days too; for I sometimes simply need them to regenerate.

My days can be a total mess of deadlines or things I still need to do without actually getting to do them; frustration settling in; fear even to fail at getting where I sóóó want to go. It is then I live in frustration; in failure of  reaching my set goals.

But you know what. It happens. Life can be amazingly unpredictable. When I think about it, I actually never know what my day will bring.I get up in the morning, recall what day it is and what’s in my agenda for the day. I choose my clothing accordingly.  I do my morning exercises when I have the time or think about it. I look at the clock to instruct me when to do what or to go where. And then suddenly something happens that jerks me off my feet, messes up my time table; obstructs ‘all the things I still need to do’ ; raises my blood pressure, changes my mood and changes the expected outcome of my day.

Until I sit down in the evening and review all that has passed and ask myself:

What happened today to be grateful for.

It’s the realization sets it; awareness; moments I missed present themselves and make me think,

Hmmm, maybe this was good day after all.

The card that goes with this is undeniably  ‘Temperance’ ;  card number XIV, the last card of the row of 7 cards that is all about the journey of the soul while on earth. You see it here in it’s new Nan War -Who Am I version as drawn by my talented daughter. (something to be very grateful for).

Temperance teaches us to stay in the present moment; to expect nothing; to have no attachment to outcome;’ to work with what is there and most of all to be present; to realize what you have to be grateful for, rather than to sum up what you lack. Not wait for things to happen or to come through; but to live in the moment in the now.

To read more about the meaning of ‘Temperance'; click the card. You’ll find the old version of this card behind the new one. I have some work to do as yet to get them all organized on my website; but thought I’d enjoY using this card now.

EnjoY your day; stay in the Now as much as you can and remember to be Grateful.

Ingrid Schippers, 23 April 2019

The abridged spoken version of this spoken blog, features as end note on  ‘Dutchbuzz’, the radio hour for Internationals every Tuesday  from 10 to 11 pm on ‘Den Haag FM’ and can be found in the Programme Archive of  the Dutchbuzz podcasts, dated April 23, 2019 or click the link below.

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