I’m a terrible speller. It is a fact of my life. My sister (an awesome first grade teacher) thinks I wasn’t taught to read correctly. I’ve always harbored a secret notion that I’m borderline dyslexic, since letter order means little to me and words look “right” spelled multiple ways.
Anyway, I’ve been known to write ‘greatful’ rather than ‘grateful’…more than once. To be honest, I think my spelling is better, but is it? The things I’m grateful for aren’t always great. Sometimes I can be grateful for things that I’m not great at, things that don’t feel great, and things that aren’t grand in scale as “great” implies.
I was reminded of this climbing a very steep hill the other day. I’m not great at that. I don’t even enjoy it that much while I’m doing it. It’s hard, my legs hurt, I’m short of breath, and I just want it to be over. I’m often grateful for not getting something I wanted, but that usually happens long, long after the disappointment fades and I gain a little perspective. I’m grateful for this time in my life, although some days I feel like I can’t go back but I don’t know how to move forward. I’m grateful for the small moments when I know I’m on the right path, when I do the right thing, and when I notice that my life is really good.
I’m grateful to hike a hard but beautiful 7 mile trail (had to look that up because trail vs trial are hard for me😝; see previous spelling disability disclosure). I’m grateful I have the willingness to keep pushing myself up these steep hills, even when I’m tired and it seems like I’m not getting any better at this and my knees hurt and the end seems elusive.
Today I’m not full of great, but I am grateful.
Boonedoggler 