Gratitude Day 11: my job

For some reason, I thought this was day 12. And I was all ready to tell you, "On the twelfth day of gratitude, my true love gave to me: new windshield wipers and a cookie. (cha, cha, cha)"

He didn't actually give me a cookie, but it had to rhyme...

Today, I am deeply grateful for my job.

Here's a reason my job is awesome. This is my cubicle on my birthday. I worked in there for almost two days.

I got up early today and hopped on my computer at 7 am for a webinar - an online conference with our colleagues all over the African continent. At work, I learned some new skills and got to attend a beautiful Mass. We prayed for some of the things that matter greatly to me - comprehensive immigration reform, that we around the world who have plenty would walk with those who have nothing, creative ways for women to be more involved in the (Catholic) church.** To finish, I got to make calls to our sponsors, which I love.

The homily at our Mass was about prayer and the myriad of ways we can pray without speaking. I have become more convicted that expressing gratitude is essential to life. We heard the story of Don Jairo* in Guatemala who thanks God for life by standing in his doorway and spreading his arms toward the mountains each morning. As he lights the fire, he expresses gratitude to the earth. As he shares a breakfast of tortillas, sometimes with eggs, sometimes with only salt, with his family, his eyes move around the circle, person by person. "I am grateful for you," he says. "You make my life more complete."

This story humbles me. It compels me. It gives me goosebumps.

This is why I am writing these blog posts. This is why I humbly try to reframe each day in gratitude, rather than let arbitrary memories color my unconscious reflections. I posed this question to you yesterday, but today is a new day. What are you grateful for?

All my love,

ellen

* I can't remember his name. He was certainly "Don", a title more respectful than "Señor", but we'll go with Jairo for right now.
** I want to say that every day I become more aware of how diverse my friends and blog readers are. I feel pretty passionately about being able to have conversations without judging. It's really hard, but I've been working on it little by little. So it's okay if you don't agree with me.