What started off as a great year – at least in my books – was interrupted by a series of unforeseen events. The year for many of us; in fact for majority of us took a twist that we never saw coming. Something like in the movies – where you are convinced that your hero is going to do his heroic thing and then the movie ends and then you stand up cheer and leave a happy trooper. BUT No! They kill off your hero and then the bad guy is the hero and then you stand up cry and go home wondering what just happened!! This is what 2020 has been so far and the even more hilarious or sad part is that we are waking up unsure of what else will be coming our way.
I have heard some say “I am now immune to whatever is coming from around the bend”; I read somewhere where a friend was wishing her friends a Happy 2021 (basically, 2020 is cancelled in her books). I know a few people that have surrendered to the waves of the year and will sail on to wherever they will be taken. Whatever it is, there seems to be a general sense of coping and taking each day as it comes and opening the door to whatever the day presents.
Personally, I have made an intentional decision to take this a notch higher and count it all joy even in the midst of the tumultuous storm and the waves of uncertainty. There is no way I can figure out what tomorrow holds by breaking a sweat, crying a river of tears, staying awake in my bed all night; pondering and prying or even throwing my hands in the air. I need to keep going and as I do this, I need to take a moment to be grateful for the good things happening along the journey. Indeed these things surely exist. After a moment of deep thought, I was able to come up with my gratitude list thus far.
I am grateful for good health: I do not take this for granted at all. After nursing a long hard bout of malaria, H.Pyroli infection (with stomach ulcerations), mental exhaustion and 3 fibroids (that possibly require surgery); all I was left with is to say thank you God for restoration and good health. Also that I am still alive. By the way, all these took their toll on me within the January to June, 2020 period. Also, I have been one of the blessed people not to catch the corona virus and I plan to keep it that way by staying safe.
I am grateful for:
- A roof over my head – somehow we have had and paid our rent; sometimes delayed but many times on time
- Oxygen that I do not have to pay a kobo for. It’s free
- I have had food to fill my belly – somehow my stores were filled. Thank you friends and family that drop in with a cluster of bananas, a bunch of matooke, a packet of milk, honey, paw-paws, rice, beans, maize… just because you are so awesome!
- The strength and the will to get up and show up; even on days that I just want to stay in my bed and have no energy in my bones
- The undeserving grace that God shows me every single day
- LOVE – LOVE that has come even from the most unexpected places
- The friends I have; especially that they get me! I can be elusive (mostly because I spend half of my active time trying to figure life out and this causes me to go into a cave for a bit
- A bed to lay in after each day has come and gone
- Our pets – they have taught me a thing or two about humanity
- MY FAMILY – these are my backbone, the reason I stand strong, the reason I am typing these, the reason I am smiling now….
- The word of God that has lit my way
- Work to do and a brain to sustain this
- You that is reading this and my other rumblings
I wake up each day irrespective of how I feel and I put on my gratitude hat because without it, I am just going through the notions of this life.
