I see within me and all around me this constant and incessant need for more. For better. For greater. In every sense of the word. 

And while I fully subscribe to this notion, especially when it comes to personal growth…or when I look back on this life at the end of my days, I fully intend to have no regrets for the path I’ve chosen and the decisions I’ve made. 

But the danger of always wanting more makes it easy to forget about everything that I already have. It’s so easy for the tunnel vision to keep me from seeing what’s in front of me and recognizing that I do have everything I need. The roof over my head. Warm hugs and pancakes from Dr. Awesome. The unconditional love of my pups. The friends and family that fill my world with color, personality and inspiration. And, the mere fact that I get to spend my days being a creative.

But those of you who know me know I have a bit of an intense, all or nothing personality. I’m always 6 months out. I have goals. Big ones. I often have to remind myself to stop and be present. (Meditations help.)

But all of that changed as I watched my husband tip a U-Haul into a snowy embankment on our move back to CO.

It was the perfect storm (pun intended). A false entrance into the gas station. No proper signage. A steep grade on the road; packed in ice and snow. And, of course, let’s not forget gravity.

We were on the phone the entire time when I heard panic in his voice. The U-Haul was packed to the roof, the weight of all our belongings shifting as the tires struggled for traction. And then, with a front-row seat, I watched the truck slide backward into the ditch and in slow motion tip onto its side.

Time stopped. A thousand thoughts flooded my mind all at once. I screamed out loud. Then I was out of the truck, like I was shot out of a cannon, climbing up the underbelly of the van to make sure my husband was unscathed.

Thankfully, he was.

After unpacking we discovered that all we lost was time.

• No injuries
• No damaged artwork
• No broken furniture
• Dishes were safe

The only thing that was broken was one little dish, carefully wrapped just like everything else. It had one word on it…grateful.

Those of you who’ve been following along know that I believe everything happens for a reason. What that reason is isn’t always clear. But there are usually signs, if we’re paying attention, guiding us along the way.

Well… this was a literal sign.

Yes, I’m grateful that all of our belongings survived. But at the end of the day, it’s just stuff. Things that make our lives easier. Things that can be replaced.

When I watched that U-Haul tip over, all I could think about was my darling husband—and the unimaginable loss it would have been if anything had happened to him.

I decided to repair the broken dish using the Japanese art of Kintsugi, highlighting the cracks with gold, as a reminder of that day... to never forget the moment I almost lost everything, only to realize how much I already had.

As Melody Beattie so beautifully said, “Gratitude turns what we have into enough.”

They say a regular gratitude practice can reduce stress in the physical body, gently reminding us of what truly matters. It helps quiet those nagging first-world problems that so easily steal our joy.

I have enough. I am enough.

*** 

I hope you find a million reasons to fill your heart with gratitude. For the people you love. For the lessons that shape you. And for another day of simply being alive.