Day Five: 30 Days of Gratitude

The rain is falling on a chilly fall evening here in Kentucky, making curling up on my couch with a hot cup of green tea feel even cozier.  It is the type of night that lends itself to quiet solitude and self-reflection, and I am indulging in both.  One of the many topics traipsing through my mind tonight is gratitude, and a definite theme or pattern emerged.  So, here are the three things that I truly am grateful for on day five:

1. An unexpected thank you note.  As I sat in my office this afternoon, feeling a bit overwhelmed and frazzled by the tasks at hand, I heard a knock at my door.  My first reaction was one of annoyance, as the day had been wrought with interruptions, throwing me off track and behind schedule, but that annoyance quickly dissolved when my boss handed me a “special delivery”.  The special delivery was a thank you card (pictured below) from a gentleman who had been a guest at the day shelter for homeless men where I work, and when I read his sweet words, I grinned ear to ear and felt happy tears roll down my cheeks.  Calvin recently was accepted into one of our permanent supportive housing programs and moved into his own apartment, so, I do not get to see him on daily basis like I once did.  For some of these men, we become like their family, and a bond of love and trust is formed.  I tell them on a regular basis that they are among the finest gentlemen in all of Louisville, and this note is just one example that proves this.  To be thanked by someone who has lost everything, yet perseveres, is so very humbling and previous. 
2. A message from my sweet friend, Dina.  If you have been reading these gratitude posts lately, you have read about the tragic death of Dina’s 20-year-old son in a house fire on Halloween.  I dedicated last night’s gratitude post to both Dina and Tyler, and I was so touched when Dina posted this response on Facebook:

   “Kristi. I am speechless at this blog entry. In so many ways I have loved your blogs and now I am a part of them in a way that I’d rather never ever be. But it’s ok. Because my vow and promise that I take from Tyler’s life is to love unconditionally and live in a way that honors God. That way , …when the day arrives.. Hopefully God will look at me and say “well done, my good and faithful servant”. Just as I am sure he said to Tyler on Friday October 31st, 2014. and I will get the chance to say hello again to my beautiful and sweet baby boy and hold him in my arms again. . I am so very grateful that Tyler’s life touched you in such a profound way. It truly warms my heart! I love you so very much Kristi Jo Jedlicki !!!”

   In the midst of her unimaginable pain and intense grief, Dina still managed to compose such a beautiful message, and it meant the absolute world to me.
   

3. An e-mail from someone close to me.  Sometimes, the simplest of words can make the biggest impression or impact.  When my friend wrote, “You did well girl!”, in an email in response to something that I wrote, I was surprised.  He doesn’t dole out compliments readily, so, this one remark carried a lot of weight with me.  It left me feeling proud of myself.

I am thankful for these messages that I received from these three special people and many more things indeed.

Just one thing each day . . .