Gratitude

Yesterday, I wrote about anger, and the anger I fell about the loss of our dog. Anger and heartbreak are not the only feelings I have right now. I am also experiencing gratitude.

I'm grateful to so many people for what they did to try to find her or to support us as we looked and after we found her.

The man who received the wrong dog searched for her, even after he knew it wasn't his dog who was missing. The vet and his staff looked for her everywhere they could think of. They printed and handed out fliers. There is a man associated with a no-kill shelter in town who spent days and nights looking and distributing fliers. The people at animal control were very helpful and understanding. Strangers in businesses listened to our story and hung fliers. They shared our grief when we returned and told them the rest of the story.

Friends at church offered support. The choir sent a card, signed by all. Friends of ours suggested next steps and helped with them, then spent time with us afterward, to listen and offer distraction. Family members and friends looked for her and prayed for us. And then there is the man who called, crying, to tell us he had found her. The list literally goes on and on. 

Gratitude is a kind of grace, isn't it. Make a list of what stirs your heart to gratitude, and in it you will find comfort.