Using the Alphabet for a Gratitude List

Using the Alphabet for a Gratitude List

During a time when I was at my absolute lowest – I think autumn 1992 when I was finding my way to Al-Anon the first time – somebody at a meeting suggested that when times are challenging one should make a gratitude list just going through the alphabet and finding something to appreciate that begins with every letter.  Sometimes it was tough. But even now, more than 20 years later, I use that tool to bring me some perspective. Sometimes the list can be a bit off kilter or crazy, but I complete the exercise and find that on any given day, I have a lot to appreciate.

Just random thought of what I can appreciate today:

A          apple pie with ice cream; appreciation for my blessings; acceptance;

B          butter on fresh bread straight from the oven; BBQ; books

C          cool breezes on a summer day; my convertible;

D         DVDs of favorite old movies; driving with the top down

E          Echinacea- the lovely prairie coneflower currently blooming in my garden

F          the soft fur on our lovable kitties

G          velvet green rolling hills of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia

H         the Harrington family that welcomed me as a daughter; lessons of history

I           A fertile imagination; iPad; iPhone

J           joy

K         kindness of others; my Kindle

L          laughter; the Locke Store

M         music

N         Night with the stars shining brightly in a dark sky

O         Opera- particularly La Boheme & Don Giovanni

P          possibilities

Q         Quietness

R          the sweetness of freshly picked raspberries

S          scent of fresh air after a rain

T          taste of a sweet crab cake or a robust Cabernet

U         Ulysses – a book by Joyce that makes every other book seem readable

 V         Vivaldi – who doesn’t love the Four Seasons?

W        Wedded bliss – what I have with my husband!

X          A challenging letter – but I can appreciate the letter for what it is!

Y          Yahoo.com – my primary email provider

Z          Zappo’ s an online purveyor of really magnificent shoes!

So, it isn’t always easy. But with a little effort one can get through the list and come out the other side appreciating one’s blessings. My list will change from day to day. But when it is necessary, I will plunder through and accept that I have every reason to celebrate life. Try it! What can it hurt?