Grateful for the gentle breeze that blows through the palm fronds outside my window
and for my eyes that can see it
Grateful for the sound of the gurgling water fountain that I awake to every morning
and for my ears that can hear it
Grateful for my husband’s smile
and my dog’s beating heart
for my parents that are a phone call away
and for my grandmothers who passed on their strength and passions to me
Grateful for the questions that keep me searching
and the answers I have not found
the challenges that make me stronger
and the struggles through which I emerge transformed to the other side
Grateful to be doing the things I love daily
and for each new day I am gifted
Grateful for the sun that rises like a miracle
and sets as slow as a prayer
for the birds that speak their mind
and remind me to do so also
Grateful for these hands that write, reach out, and embrace
and for all the hands that have reached out and helped me up when I was down,
teaching me the power of love.
monique minahan 