Gratitude

We have a new poem up at Scrap That Poetry, and it goes right along with my Attitude of Gratitude challenge!  The poem is "Prayer for the Great Family," a Mohawk prayer that offers thanks for nature, the earth, and all the blessings that come from it.  I thought about making a layout, but then I realized that I wanted something that I could display, a visual reminder to be grateful.  So, I created this:

I painted, distressed, and inked a four inch by four inch canvas.  I added book paper (Scrap Rat) that I had misted in a few colors and then layered on butterfly stickers and fussy-cut roses.  Butterflies and roses may not be mentioned in the poem, but they are from nature and very symbolic of my journey lately to grow and change.

The large butterfly has stick pin antennae.  I doodled around the edge and handwrote a subtitle on the side.  The title is made with October Afternoon alphas.  This piece now sits in my entry way and I see it whenever I walk in the front door.

Yesterday was an amazing day.  Here we are, halfway through Attitude of Gratitude, and I can see the differences in me, in the way I look at things, in my overall happiness.  At church yesterday we had a testimony meeting, which is when members of the congregation are able to address the church members with whatever they feel prompted to say.  Almost every person spoke about gratitude, and even those who didn't speak on that topic expressed gratitude for something.  I was recently given the opportunity to serve the young women, ages 12-17.  The lesson we had yesterday was about gratitude, and I was inspired by their thoughts and feelings.  As if that weren't enough, last night we had a special meeting for all the youth (and as a leader I was able to go), and the topic was again gratitude.  I feel so incredibly blessed to have been present at all these meetings, to be able to take part in those messages.  So today, I'm grateful for this challenge and for all of you participating in one way or another.  I'm grateful for this emphasis on gratitude in my life right now, with inspiration seemingly coming from everywhere.

I hope you can find a little bit of time to create something about gratitude and submit it at Scrap That Poetry.  We would be so happy to have you play along.  Have a wonderful Monday! Tessa