Tea began as medicine and morphed into a beverage of choice!
I don't quite remember when I fell in love with tea but I do remember the most 
Until recently I had never drank Peppermint Tea made with loose leaves. And Honestly, I will probably never go back. The freshness of loose Peppermint Tea cannot be denied. When I open the can of 
I love to read! Inside a book I escape into someone else's life. There is something wonderful about turning to the next page of a wonderful story. Something intoxicating about the smell of the book and the story it brings to life. Reading brings me joy, and these days with my health in the balance, I find solace in my books.
It's funny though, right before I got up, I was in bed cuddling with Sophie, Tweeting and talking to my girlfriend Markeeda all at the same time; And all seemed right with the world. But in a matter of minutes, I was facing chaos. While stepping in ice cold water I was thinking, "What in the world?"
It's interesting how one thing can change everything. This morning it was the toilet running over, last week it was the reality that my chance to get out of this financial crisis I'm in had slipped right out the window and it caused me to have a complete and total melt down.
But just like that instant changes everything for the bad, it can also change things for the good. And while you are deep in the bad, underneath there is always good. I mean, while you are facing some stuff that throws you for a loop no matter how big or small, simultaneously, there is always good; Something to be grateful for even while in the chaos.
Instead, I'm talking about the things we take for granted, some big and some small. For example, It's no secret that I have no biological family and spend many holidays at home alone. Last Thanksgiving my BFF Luke came to Chicago and spent it with me. This year my other BFF Markeeda is coming to hang out with me. See, it's little stuff like that we take for granted.
Then honestly, one of the comments in last weeks Monday Reflection humbled my tail and made me think about gratitude in a way I had never before. One of my Twitter followers talked about being homeless, but never giving up, even though she had to send her child to live in another place.
Now I've never been one to measure people's pain. Don't get me wrong. One person's mountain is another person's valley. You never know what people can withstand or not. Like getting my ass kicked by my mother and raped by the men in my family helped to shape this super women, over achiever person that I am. While for others, it sent them straight to drug use. Don't mean that this kind of abuse didn't hurt all of us, just means we coped differently.
And while every bill I have under the sun in past due, my rent is paid. And speaking of the sun, I can feel it on my face;That's a blessing too. And yes my cell phone was disconnected today *sigh* and it drained my bank account to get it turned back on, but Thank God I had that. Can't get stuck on what you don't have, instead be grateful for what you do.
No, I'm not suggesting denial either. We must face our issues head on, but also understand they aren't everything that's going on it our life, even if it seems like it at that moment in time.
Like this, I have Sophie, who wakes every morning and goes to bed everyday giving mommie kisses.
(You can follow me and this LaCrosse on Twitter with the hash tag #RLTDrives) I'm soooo excited to be off the bus!
See, there is a lot to be grateful for. I'm even grateful for all of you who religiously read my blog and share it with others. By doing so, you will make me one day marketable for sponsors. So please keep coming back. But I recognize that there are some blogs that don't see the volume in 2 years that I get in a month. And I can go on and on about the things I can be grateful for that I never really think about daily. The small things that are over looked.
1. Write those things in your Journal! It doesn't have to be in detail, it could just be short sentences. I say that, because everyone isn't big on journalling, Im not; But I'm going to give it a try.
2. Send me pictures of your journal. You can E-mail, Tweet or Facebook a picture of your journal for me to share. Tell me briefly why you chose this particular one. I will also make a Facebook album of our journals. How cute is that!
3. Send me some of your journal entry's. I will make Sunday Gratitude Day on my Blog and share with my readers what you are most grateful for.
Now I don't need your entire journal, just pick something weekly what you would like to share with me and others. And let me know if I should use your name or not. They should be e-mailed to me no later than 8pm on Saturday evenings.
I'm excited. We start today!! So go pick yourself up a journal. Hey if you can't afford one, a notebook will do just fine. The first entries will be on this Sunday!
