Mom, I am Grateful for You

Gratitude is something I practice daily. Part of the 10/10/10 morning includes gratefulness journaling, but this subject was something that required more than a few lines. Mom, I am so grateful for you. There are a million reasons why I appreciate you, and it wasn't just something to be put in a letter, this gratitude is something that needed to be shouted from the rooftops (or at least posted in my blog). Here are a few of the things I learned from my mom.

Character

My mom taught me the meaning of character. She grew up poor in rural Indiana. Those stories you hear older generations complaining of walking 10 miles to school in snowstorms, uphill both ways, would have been a blessing for my mom. Her stories are of not having coal for the stove to heat the house and waking up with snow covering her blankets because the bedroom window was broken. I could go on and on about the challenges she faced, but nothing stoppered her from reaching her potential. Raising two boys, working fulltime, she went to night school until receiving her master's degree. These challenges would be excuses for many people not to reach their potential but no my mom. She has the character to improve her life and better the future of the next generations.

Attitude

My mom grew up on welfare. She was surrounded by people that repeated the same patterns as their parents. It is the easier path to blame your station in life based on the hand that you are dealt. A positive attitude that you can improve your experience is required to succeed. Life will knock you down, get back up and keep fighting. Hard work and a positive attitude will overcome mast adversity. My mom faced challenges that would have crippled most people, but she let nothing stop her from living the life she wanted. It took hard work and decades to achieve, but my mom's attitude made it possible.

Sacrifice

I appreciate the sacrifices you made to let me pursue my dreams. The sacrifices you have made my entire life have been to provide a better future not ony for me but also for my boys. I learned how to be a better parent through my experiences as your son. 

Unconditional love.

Let's be honest; I wasn't always the best kid growing up. I got in my fair share of trouble, complete with a few encounters with the Phoenix police department. Expressing anger wasn't a challenge for my mom, and neither was forgiveness. It was a gift to experience unconditional love. To know that no matter what, I was loved is a gift that I treasure to this day.

Gratitude is one element of mental health, and we know it's an important one. It's not only about the positive thoughts you are having; Gratitude is also about the negative thoughts you aren't experiencing. I know that having this routine impacts my mood; it helps me sleep better and improves my physical health. There are scientifically proven benefits to having a gratefulness practice. When we express or receive gratitude, our brain releases dopamine and serotonin, the two crucial neurotransmitters responsible for our emotions, and they make us feel 'good'. They enhance our mood immediately, making us feel happy from the inside. This morning, I hope that this article makes my mom feel as good as I felt writing it.