Count Your Blessings

"God will not permit any troubles to come upon us, unless he has a specific plan by which great blessing can come out of the difficulty"... (Peter Marshall). It's holiday time and I heard the song "Count Your Blessings" today. The theme of gratitude was already on my mind, so the song just seemed very fitting. I have really been thinking long and hard lately about why things happen and truly being grateful for the twists and turns I've been blessed with. Over a week ago, I flew to Connecticut to see clients. When I walked into my house, I intuitively felt that something was wrong but I ran to shower since I was running a little behind schedule. The cold shower tipped me off that something was definitely wrong. I headed to the basement to check things out and much to my surprise, my entire basement was flooded in 3 inches of water. Water was pouring out of my water heater from the bottom. I remained pretty calm, called a neighbor to help me turn the water off and I turned my focus back on my busy schedule. I called the insurance company in between clients, slowly pulled wet things out of the basement and eventually got hold of the insurance and a company specializing in water clean up. As days went by, my work schedule wrapped up and yet I was still waiting for the clean up crew to work its magic. I had to cancel my California obligations as each day passed and the basement was still in turmoil. I took it all in stride that for whatever reasons, the Universe wanted me here in Connecticut a little longer. Although I've missed my kids terribly, we have all learned various lessons from this experience. I have been so grateful for this pause in my life. I didn't realize it at first, but I had been running so fast between all of my responsibilities that I had lost touch with myself. I hadn't been writing much and I'd felt a little numb spiritually. I needed a re-boot, a renewed perspective and to reconnect with a part of myself I had let slip away. The extra time has given me a very special gift....inspiration. I feel completely re-charged. I dealt with the workers, helped with clean up and spent some time journalling, going to a movie, baking cookies and resting. Even though I had thought that I had plenty of time to think in California, I had still lost touch with some important parts of myself. I am also blessed that in staying here, a drum that I had commissioned to be painted called "The Fleur De Lis"...or otherwise known as the tree of life, was ready to be picked up. The shamanic artist texted me that my drum was ready but that I'd have to actually pick up the drum in Connecticut, since it required a special ritual. She had no idea that I was here. My new tree of life drum ironically symbolizes reconnection which grounds us to who we really are at our core. So, I count each and every blessing. In the midst of something chaotic is something beautiful...in the center of turmoil can be a needed opportunity and an unexpected gift. "Change, like sunshine, can be a friend or a foe, a blessing or a curse, a dawn or a dusk"...(William A. Ward).