Roses for a Sunday

I've always loved roses, but it took me a while to plant them for myself. Our rosebushes remind me often to thank God for certain people in my life, and to say thank You, period... I still want some to remind me of my sisters and my best friend, but that will come, maybe next year.

For now, this Sunday morning reflection is about beauty, and family and friends who have given beauty to my life.

Blanc de Coubert reminds me of Lee
and our evening walks together.
Thank you God, for my partner in life.

Oscar Pederson is delicate but tough, like my daughter Suzanna.
Thank you, God, for her quiet strength in facing challenges.

Morden Sunrise is the rosette that I pinned
to Jay's lapel on their graduation day.
Thank you, God, for the many things they've taught me.

Olds College reminds me of my dear friends,
Ralph and Lidia, because I bought this rose
with birthday money she gave me.
Thank you God, for their friendship (and my
Sunday morning espresso in her pot!)

Fire Glow is my mother-in-law, Vivien's, rose.
Her heart burned with a lot of love.
Thank you, God, for her shining faith in you.

Never Alone is her husband Louis' rose. 
They grow side by side in my garden.
Thank you, God, for my father-in-law.

John Franklin came from my dear friend
Jocelyne, who I don't see nearly enough, 
but John reminds me to pray for her.

Prairie Joy is Christina's rose.
It was part of their wedding bouquet
and bloomed on their 4th anniversary, June 29th.
Thank you, God, for my go-getter eldest child.

Adeline is my dad's rose.
Thank you, God, for Dad, who makes your love comprehensible.

And I don't know the name of this rose,
but she's a beauty I call Hildegarde
because my mom gave her to me.
Thank you, God, for my mom-best-friend.

This Sunday morning, I'm counting my roses, and my blessings!

Simple Suggestion #35... Say thank you often

Two little words in English. Merci in French. Gracias in Spanish, grazie in Italian, dankuwel in Flemish, bedankt in German... and perhaps my multilingual spelling is going off the rails, so I'll stop there. Maybe you know a few more.

If we want to live a happy, simple life, showing gratitude is one of the easiest things we can do. Those two little words go a long way to making life happier for us and the people with whom we live. I've lost track of the number of times that saying thank you to a store clerk brightened their demeanor, or when I thanked one of my girls for completing a small chore and she went an extra mile for me. Come to think of it, I'm a lot more likely to do more for someone else when they acknowledge the effort with a simple thank you.

And there are larger thanks to be given, too. When we really think about it, everything we have to enjoy is gift, given to us by hands much gentler than our own. Friendships often start through no real effort of ours, happiness arrives with a wisp of music or the chickadee in my lilac bush, and peace descends when I am able to slow down and listen to my own breathing. Even my ability to breathe is a gift.

No matter our belief system, saying thank you is necessary because it keeps us from taking everything for granted. Appreciation keeps us down-to-earth and helps us to value the enough that we already have. And if we practice Voluntary Simplicity by valuing what we have, we don't need to pursue more. As Lao-Tze said sometime in the 3rd century, to be content with what we have is to be rich. And as Ron Rolheiser said a lot more recently than that, to be grateful is part of the road to being a saint. I've got a few favourite saints, and wouldn't mind being included in their company!

So today, I will say thank you more often, and I will remember to be thankful for my family, friends, neighbours and others I've yet to meet, for my home, for sun and rain, for this cup of coffee, for those chickadees... and I could probably go on all day, except life is calling me on to other things... for which I am thankful...

P.S. Looking for more Simple Suggestions? Try here.