I could've been ungrateful BUT...

Seeing lots of gratitude lists in a variety of others' blogs always brings a cheesy grin to my face. Life could be miserable or it could be filled with blessings that ease their way, almost unnoticed, into our plain ole everyday every days.

However, as I was pondering my morning I laughingly thought, "I could just make an ungrateful list" - not because my morning has been so out-of-synch with comfortable, happy little expectations or complete chaos that brought me to tears, shrieking, or quiet insolence.  It was more of a spiteful consideration?  I'm not sure exactly what it was but it was there.  And then the "but" appeared...that but that sometimes we love to loathe and sometimes we love to love.

I could've been ungrateful BUT...

I could've been ungrateful that our children, in playful gestures, grabbed at one another during our walk across the highway to school and managed to tumble both into a crying, screaming-in-'agony' heap right on the yellow line BUT...no one was mutilated or even maimed by passing traffic due to the presence of a very capable crossing guard, no one was seriously mangled beyond bright purple elbow bruises, and I didn't even freak out.

I could've been ungrateful that a little bug body tumbled out of my cinnamon scone this morning BUT instead was just plain glad to have been able to afford such decadence, also contented that I didn't have any notions of vomiting and still was able to finish this yummy, yummy treat, and secure in the knowledge that in many other countries fibre-filled bugs are regularly on the menu.

I could've been ungrateful that my hubby is on the road with his job today and therefore couldn't share lunchtime with me on my only day off this week BUT I ate whatever I wanted (ham on bun and my homemade soup) in complete silence, thankful that both of us have employment and that we don't have to worry this month about how the lights will stay on or how a near-empty fridge might keep running.

I could've been ungrateful that I have had to wash the bed sheets from a certain child yet again BUT I am simply grateful to be blessed with children and with the fact that not only do we have our own washing machine but that daily sheet laundering saves on landfill disposal space and diaper costs!

That BUT strikes again...feverishly morphing ungrateful thoughts into pleasant, thankful ones of those blessings all around us.

But, but, but...

What "but"s have you had in your day???