Amphibious Spirit Guides?

Channeling Gratitude

Can you "channel," gratitude? Is that a thing? It seems like a whole new level from simply thinking of something to be grateful for. 

Uplevel your gratitude practice

After practicing gratitude on purpose for so long it seems to have morphed into a new experience. Now when I practice along with my students in yoga class, "Bring to mind something you are grateful for," or like today a person I follow on Facebook had a pretty photo above a post asking everyone to share what they were grateful for… instead of thinking of something, I close my eyes and let something come. 

When life hands you lemons...

Rather than listing or reaching for something to appreciate, I allow it to come and it is usually really simple and random like; lemons. I can appreciate their shape, texture, color and scent…that is easy. 

Frogs are friends

 Today what came was unexpected; frogs. I almost pushed back and reached for something else more usual like my family… I am so thankful for them, it is so easy to dwell there. But today when frogs were the center of attention, my first thought was, "no, that can't be right." Something told me to wait a beat and see if it expanded. And when I paused and waited, the image took me to an age when it was not weird or gross to touch them, to catch them, or to even race them competitively with friends. : ) 

At the "Crick"

And then the experience opened up into gratitude for "crick-ladyin," a thing we did when we were little. My mom and a few of her friends would pack all of us up and go to a park in our hometown with a wide creek or "crick," as they would call it. We all waded and splashed and I can still feel the slimy rocks in the areas where there were short gradual waterfall drops that we could slide down on our butts… And of course there were frogs and minnows to catch and those water striders to avoid. Those creeped me out then for some reason. 

Kiss a frog

There was more. The frogs took me to a time when my niece caught one at my parents summer home and we took a picture of her kissing it. The princely magic didn’t swirl in, but it is still a most treasured memory of that place, and that age of my kiddos… 

Frog song

But the frogs weren’t done… they transported me next to a beautiful water feature in my Georgia backyard, where every spring we were lulled to sleep by the whirring sounds of the tiny frogs as they emerged after their metamorphosis. The water prior had been pitch black with the tiny tadpoles swishing and squirming til their legs emerged and their shape changed and they could all finally hop away to find a bigger pond. What a sound they created! It was so sweet and encouraging like change could have a song. Like life evolving could have a set tone. 

So today, I am thankful for frogs…. 

What are you thankful for? Click here to join me on my podcast, Gratitude Sandwich, to share your story.