Gratitude is a choice.

Drinking from my favorite mug this morning and thinking of this beautiful reminder: Gratitude is a choice.

Notice that chip in my cup? Let me tell you a story about that:

I bought this cup as a much deserved reward for being publicly humiliated by my two oldest children. I was some months pregnant with Drew, shopping at Target with the boys (remember those days? When we took kids into a store without even thinking about it?).

Dash was crying for some reason I’ve forgotten, or maybe never knew, and Des was giggling like a mad man and had me chasing him through the grocery aisles.

By the time I caught Desmond, both boys were in tantrum mode. I had to strap Des into the cart and carry Dash the rest of the trip.

On the way to the checkouts I passed the mugs. And this one was sitting on the end cap, just waiting for me.

“Attitude of gratitude”

It was a reminder of exactly what I needed in that moment. To be grateful for these precious children, the breath in their lungs, the voices they have.

Every time I see this mug, I am reminded to slow my anger and release the anxiety. I am reminded to be present in the moment and love my children. To be grateful for them in the chaos.

I also find it a bit funny that one day Desmond was playing in the kitchen sink after I’d asked him not to, he chipped this mug. I was almost mad at him, but I chose not be. I chose to lovingly remove him from the situation and carry on. It’s just a mug.

I could have gone full Hulk on him, but instead I calmly picked up the mug and thought “well, at least it chipped on the side I don’t drink from.” That’s gratitude in practice.

Things won’t always go right, but we can approach them and respond with the right mentality. We are capable of so much if we simply take a moment to breathe, be here, be grateful, and keep moving forward.