A day of gratitude

Today I have been on the verge of tears most of the day.
I started my day with an email from a young woman, who doesn't know my daughter or my family, who will spend 46 hours keeping my oldest going through a dance marathon. She has reached out, asking for motivation to help her help my daughter. I am touched.
I reluctantly  sent an email to our family, requesting notes to help motivate daughter#1…
expecting very little response…
I hope that I am wrong…
but family apathy runs deep…
even if it would only take a few minutes to email something.
Then I started to think about the people who have touched her life…
her first babysitter,
her first friend(the babysitter's daughter)
her preschool teacher
her first gymnastics teacher
her horse coaches
her tennis coach
her teachers from grade/middle and high school
her friends' parents who she has maintained ties with
her marathon coach
her marathon partner
the other side of her family

I reached out to each one, making the request…
and they are beginning to come in…
and they fill me with joy.

I also started to reminisce…
-when she was a baby she was willful- refusing anything but the breast- she has used that to her advantage
-when she was a year old, the nurse asked what was in her cup…she replied 'apple juice'…the nurse wasn't expecting a full answer
-when she was two she was so small and weak she couldn't crawl into or out of a toddler bed by herself- now she runs marathons and will dance for 46 hours
-when she was a young girl we found that she was anaphylactic to peanuts- she learned to read food labels very early on- now she's a nutrition major and vegetarian.
-she can work a 1200 lb horse
-she can teach 3+ hours of aerobics in a day
-she is smart, funny, compassionate, level headed, and loving
-she was deeply disappointed last year- not being chosen to dance- and yet she learned that doing good for good's sake is enough of a reward
-she is remarkable
I love her and am so proud of her.

Tomorrow is daughter #2's 20th birthday…
and she is very differently, but equally as gifted and talented.
We shared a quiet day together yesterday…and will have a wonderful celebration over the weekend.

The boys are quiet and getting along...
I am blessed.

Gratitude for the good in my life…
That's what today is all about.
Maggie