Hi Steven, I will not be at the next SGR meeting, but I wanted to give you my perspective on what is Gratitude…To me Laying in my bed at night and feeling the warmth of my little home, seeing my little children as they experience freedom and life’s beauty, hearing the gift of music in my ears and in my heart, watching people smile at each other or offer a helping hand, walking ten miles because my car took a break from serving me, feeling the way my tears soak my pillow as I learn to let go of what was and learn to embrace what is, cleaning up Hersheys chocolate syrup pictures off Olivia and my home and realizing that I have both in my life for now, listening to my daughter express her anger and fears through a flood of tears, holding her while she cries. I am who I am because gratitude is the staples in my pantry, Thank you for asking us to share, Gratitude is the very Breath I Breathe, I know what its like to Breathe the past stale air and fight for every Breath, Grateful to know and experience the oppisite. Enjoy your Day! Love Jeanette

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car pulled out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly. So I asked, “Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!” This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, “The Law of the Garbage Truck.”

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they will dump it on you. Don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well and move on. Don’t take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets. The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so…Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don’t. Life is 10 percent what you make it and 90 percent how you take it! Have a blessed and garbage-free day.