This is the first day of thirty in which we will focus on things we are grateful for. Each night we will write about three things we have pondered on during the course of the day. Now because this is the first day, I think I will choose the obvious big ones first; not to get them out of the way, but rather because they are ever-present in my mind. Also, because they are so important in my life, I think they deserve a place of honor in the first of the thirty posts. So here they are: Jill, Eidolon House, and a personal relationship with Deity.
What can I say about my wife Jill? I am afraid that if I start to write about her, this entry would become fare longer than anyone would care to read, but on the other hand, she deserves much more than can be stated in a few paltry words. So instead of trying to elaborate on every aspect of her for which I am grateful (because I could spend the entire thirty days on just that), I will instead focus briefly on how grateful I am for the support she lends me. Support is an interesting word. It indicates that something is lacking; that what is being supported is either incomplete, or cannot stand on its own. And in some ways, that is just how I was before Jill and I met. I would not have described myself as "incomplete," but something was certainly missing. I think it was any sort of joie de vivre. Life was mechanical, and honestly, I had no real impetus to make sure it kept on going. I may not have stood on my own for very much longer, if Jill had not entered the picture. Jill is the very picture of support in my life. She is always ready to back me up on things, even if they aren't exactly her favorite things. I think we are like a trellis and bean plants. The trellis helps the plants to grow tall, and the beans anchor the trellis and keep it from blowing away.
Not an hour passes for me without thinking about how grateful I am for Jill, how happy I am that we have each other, and how different and beautiful life looks now that we are together.
The second thing I wish to write about tonight is Eidolon House. I had decided that I never wanted to be a home owner again. I was more than content to live in apartments the rest of my life. But shortly after getting married, it became clear that a house would have to be in our future. Although finding a home was a bit of an ordeal, in relatively short time Jill and I found ourselves the proud owners of a small rural home; Eidolon House. Now the reason this house makes it on to my top three list of things I am grateful for is not because of its intrinsic value as a house, or that I am just grateful for shelter (though those are nice things too), but rather because Eidolon House is the place where Jill and I have been able to realize so many of our dreams and plans. We have not lived here even three months, and already we have seen so many of our plans materialize and come to fruition. Our homestead, though still in its infancy, is up and running, we have easily adapted to a more rural lifestyle, and Jill and I are able to find so much joy in governing our household. So this is not being grateful for the house so much as it is being grateful for having a home of our own, a lifestyle of our own, and everything that can mean for us.
The third thing I am grateful for tonight is perhaps the hardest to put into words. I am grateful for a personal relationship with Deity. The past few years have been the start of a sort of spiritual quest for me, and I have been amazed to find that the more questions and doubts I have had, and the fewer answers I have had at times, the stronger and closer that union with God has become. I am grateful that I am a spiritual being, and that I am able to appreciate spirituality. Being able to put that in the forefront of my life, while shifting dogmas back somewhat, has enriched every aspect of my life and made it a life well worth living
Jill's gratitude:
After reading what Joe has written I feel it almost wrong to write anything more. It is obvious that my husband is a wonderful writer, but mostly he is a wonderful person. I will be forever in debt to Joseph as he saved my life in so many ways. He is quite literally the best person I know. I am eternally grateful for my husband!
I too am grateful for Eidolon House. We named this house so that we would always be reminded to foster creativity while living here, but I didn't realize that by naming our house we allowed it to have a life of it's own; this house has it's own spirit. I feel I am privileged to live here and will do all that I can to take care of our home and live in it well. I am grateful for Eidolon House!
I too am grateful for my relationship with Deity. I feel that through my life experiences I have built a deep relationship with God. He is all knowing, powerful, and most of all, he is my friend. I am grateful for my God!
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