Christmas Eve gratitude

On Christmas Eve, the car was running on fumes and we needed to find a gas station fast. The only one nearby was a full service station. It was different to have someone else fill up my car and it made me smile. We were grateful for the cheery young man who filled up the Cube with a smile and wished us a Merry Christmas.

While running errands that same afternoon, the fluffy snow had turned to rain. Despite the nasty weather, a scout troupe was singing Christmas carols with as much enthusiasm as if they'd been on a Caribbean beach. I was grateful for their willingness to brave the elements to entertain the passerbys.

 We did something a bit different this year since our original plans went off track. We ended up going out to dinner. It was quite busy and the wait staff had their hands full, on top of being excited about working Christmas Eve. (Not) My family and I were grateful for the very pleasant and friendly service from our waitress. She was sweet, funny and could carry a tune to boot.

If there is anything I've continued to learn this year it's that there are opportunities for gratitude around every corner.