Monday, November 25, 2013

Thankful for Dirty Dishes


As I was grumbling over washing the dishes for what seemed like the hundredth time in one day, a poem etched on a ceramic dish in my mother's kitchen came to mind.

"Thank God for dirty dishes,
They have a tale to tell,
While others my go hungry
We're eating very well"

I don't know who wrote this, where it came from, or even if it's a rhyme everyone already knows, but it helps me to remember all the things I'm thankful for that might at first glance - and sometimes even the hundredth - seem aggravating, a chore, or simply a daily grind. The areas I need to view in a positive light rather than in the negative manner I have a tendency to embrace.

Mind you, this is only a few of those things that make me want to grumble. Things I need to put into proper perspective. Getting stuck at the railway crossing for a slow moving train, that after seven agonizingly long and never-ending minutes, decides to move backwards, is not and may never be on this list! Then again, maybe I should find a way to use that time constructively instead of getting frustrated that I'm wasting away to nothing because I've been sitting there forever.

So, on that note, I'm thankful for:
  • Dirty dishes, because that means I have food.
  • Laundry, because that means I have clothes.
  • The need to vacuum the carpet, clean the toilets, wipe down the counters, etc., because that means I have a home.
  • The messes made by family, friends and furry companions, because that means I'm not alone.
I'm even thankful for the mistakes I've made which have caused me to learn and grow. One thing I don't ever want to be is stagnant from lack of growth or arrogant because I think I already know the answer. Frankly, just because a particular solution worked for someone else doesn't mean it will work for me, and vice versa.

While I certainly don't relish the chores, tasks, messes, and sorrows that are part and parcel of life, I am thankful for my life. Because I also get to experience, the love, laughter, joy, and beauty that come with it. And those I am most definitely thankful for.

2 comments:

  1. Hi Jennifer,

    Hope you're well :)

    I'll keep this short as I know you're probably very busy!

    I've read some of your books (loved Hot Licks) and you're clearly a very talented writer. Your skill in creating scenes that make you want to keep turning pages and worlds that draw you in is enviable! Thanks for many happy hours.

    Here’s the reason for my e-mail:

    I really enjoy dreaming up fascinating characters and riveting plots with heart breaking twists. I am a story geek – structure, setting up acts, foreshadowing: that’s my thing. But, here’s the problem… I suck at writing.

    My descriptions are rubbish, the emotions are coming through as bland, the grammar sucks and my dialogue is awkward. Basically the story in my mind isn’t transferred onto paper. At all.

    So, I’m looking to work with a really talented writer (AKA Jennifer Dellerman) that can work with detailed plots and character profiles and put it onto paper.

    I come from a marketing & publishing background and have contacts with some fantastic editors, cover designers and advertisers. This isn’t a muse I’m looking to massage, every book would be aimed at the bestseller lists.

    Stories would be roughly 30,000 words and you’d be paid $0.025 per word, up front.

    Let me know if you'd be interested (harry@maxitechmedia.com) :).

    Harry

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  2. Hey Jennifer, though in my head like many I aspire but in reality, just give me a good auther's imagination so I can escape the doldrums of reality for a few hours like everyone else, lol. Just wondering, and I periodically check to see at Amazon, kobo.com, and all romance, if you are going to add some more novels to us eager readers of the paranormal. I hope so see something, either a continuation or new series in the future from you. I though enjoyed both of your series.

    Thank you,,
    G. Philp

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