the power of thanks

I believe in gratitude.
There is something to it.
That is powerful.
A love precursor.

This is my favorite holiday.
Thanksgiving.
One that means something.
And will continue to be-
Without a purchase or a party.

It's all from the heart.

And I've decided to celebrate this year by acknowledging my gratitude.
For the things I can't live without.
The things aren't mine.
The things that are important to me.
The things I have forgotten.
The things that I love.

One a day.
Happy thanksgiving!

Plum Trees and Urinary Tract Infections

I learned a lesson this week,
From our plum tree and my kidneys.

Water is important.
Very, very important.

And if we don't get enough of it,
We won't bear even close to the amount of fruit we are capable of-
Even if that fruit is a gorgeous batch of urine
That can make you feel crummy if you can't let it go.

I have a weathered, old plum tree in my backyard.
We have been told it only has a few years left.
It has many healed-over scars where decaying branches have been removed.
Many of the existing branches are gnarled, brittle, and dry.
There is a good chance, that for it's entire life-
It has not received the proper amount of water.
(Certainly not by us-)
That would make it flourish in ease.
And yet, as long as we have lived here,
It has produced bushels of fruit.

It is a good tree.

And yet, because of it's appearance, and the opinion
Of our local tree pruner on it's life expectancy,
I felt justified not watering it this summer.
Maybe only just a handful of times.

And, guess what? It still produced fruit...
But, not a fraction of what it has been capable of in the past.
Yet it still lives, despite me.
To fulfill the measure of it's creation-
That was mapped out in that tiny little seed, that sprouted so long ago.
It continues to bear fruit, the best it can, despite what it is given.
Even if, many of those healed over scars, would have probably been avoided-
If it had received a more diligent watering.

Well the same goes for my kidneys.
A few years ago, after viewing some
MRI images, my Urologist explained that there
Was a chance that I will develop kidney disease in my future.
I had a kink in a ureter, which can jam up the release paths,
That lets me let go of toxicity. AKA...to pee correctly.
Who knew that there was a wrong way, and a right way to peeing?
And that it all has to do,

With your ability to let things go?

That's a big deal.
Kidneys filter about 200 quarts of blood a day.
You know, your life giving substance.
They sift out leftover water and waste products-
That accumulate from the normal reactions from living, moving, and eating...
So that you won't die of toxicity.
Turns out, my kidneys were fine, just a kink in my path of letting go.
If kept it up, kidney disease for sure.

Also, it seems that drinking a regular diet of water,
Has not been my daily forte.
And the last couple, hot, dry months...my kidneys have been hurting.
Turns out, if you don't have enough water for
Your filter, it's like pushing sticky muck through a salt shaker.
And I felt it.
I spent the entire day Friday, foggy, cloudy, and congested.
I was exhausted, couldn't think straight, and felt painfully, awful.
My kidney ached, and no wonderful batches of urine in the Jon.

What is wrong?
Not enough water, just like my tree.
(And maybe my soul.)
Oh, so simple.

So today, I filled up a jug of water, and left it on the table.
With the intention to drink it up before the end of the day.
And I have.
And I am thinking much clearer, and feeling much improved.

The Bible says, if you drink Jesus' water,
You shall never thirst. And inside us will spring,
An everlasting well. (John 4:14)

The Book of Mormon mentions that waters can
Be a representation of the love of God.
(1 Ne 11:25)

So today, I am drinking more water, and happily peeing.
And appreciating my good, old tree.