Grace & gratitude

She took our orders with a smile, making suggestions when she saw we were stuck or confused; and she served us in a genuinely happy state. She made us feel that we were extremely important—and that she really loved her job. This waiter simply radiated kindness, joy and good will.

When I think of aging gracefully and gratefully, I think of someone like this woman. I'm not always good at judging age in others, but I would guess she was at least in her late 50s. So being on her feet all day and carrying heavy trays of food could not have been easy. You would never have known it if she was uncomfortable or unhappy. Just being in her presence brightened my day.

I want to be like that. I want to radiate grace and express back to the world the love and blessings I've been given. I want to stop focusing on all the challenges and negative things I see "out there" and even on those I still carry around inside myself. I want to nurture fullness of heart and kindness in myself—and thus in others. Focus on the blessings and the positive—and our joy will radiate out to all those whose lives we touch, just like the ripple effect of a stone in the water. Doesn't it just lift your spirits to think about this?

I want to carry grace, not grudges. It starts with me right here, right now. And it really begins with me acknowledging, with gratitude, all my blessings.