gonzalezes are . . .

You who know us well could likely fill in the blank with a variety of words, some of which might actually be positive!

Last year sometime I was talking to one of my sisters and she said that they'd come up with a family motto, "Kohlers are kind." I actually thought it was a nice idea, some sort of catch-phrase to inspire kids with when necessary, so I mentioned it to David. He then decided that we needed a motto, and the first thing he thought of was "Gonzalezes are grumpy." Hmph. I told him this wasn't really the idea, as mottoes are not supposed to be statements of fact, but rather inspiration to be better. Unfortunately, he got such a kick out of himself that the "motto" stuck, and while it thankfully hasn't been called upon too frequently, I didn't see it as being a step forward for our family.

So the other night we were talking after our TJEd study group, and I said I think we need a real motto. After thinking for a few moments, I suggested "Gonzalezes are grateful." He immediately liked it. We've been trying to cultivate an attitude of abundance in our household for the past couple of years, but when money is tight and comes sporadically sometimes, it can be hard to focus on what you have when you are frequently wondering and shuffling money around to pay the bills. Lately, though, I've really been making the effort to be grateful, and as cheesy as it can feel to my inner cynic, when I have an ungrateful thought or complaint, I force it out with a grateful one. This has been especially helpful in the mornings when I do not want to get out of bed. I start thinking that I'm grateful to have a bed to sleep in, grateful for the health that allows me to get out of bed unassisted and without pain, grateful for the home I have to wake up in, and after a few of these thoughts, I'm feeling pretty good about life. Perhaps I'll get my brain rewired yet!

Oh, and while I'm thinking about it, I wanted to share a recent favorite comic:



I'm grateful for comics and for the little ones who want constant entertainment. (Though I'm less grateful for that need for constant entertainment.)