The Gratitude Bracelet

I've been reading "I Feel Bad About My Neck", by Nora Ephron. I like Nora, but you know... I feel bad about this book. So far, it comes from such a negative perspective on aging, it's making me feel bad about things I hadn't even thought of before. I might finish it, because she's funny, and I don't have anything else waiting in the book stack at the moment, or I might give it back to Mitzi, so she can take it back to the used book store she got it from, and get something else.

I was able to make beads in the daytime today, for the first time in weeks. It's chilly and rainy, which is perfect beadmaking weather. And while I'm in no way ready for summer to be over, I do appreciate being able to get my work done before it gets dark outside. I was thinking about Nora Ephron while I worked today, trying to decide whether to keep reading or throw the book out the window, and then I had a great idea for a bracelet. Jewelry ideas come from some odd places sometimes. I like that about ideas. You never know when to expect them, so it's always good to be in a welcoming sort of mood. I finished up the beads I was making, and then hopped over to the jewelry table to string up a sample bracelet for myself. I call it the Gratitude Bracelet.

It's simple, as it should be, given the theme. I pulled 30 nice beads from my box of Strays, and strung them up on elastic cord with one big sterling silver bead. I've heard it said that there are only two prayers we need to know - Help me, Help me, Help me, and Thank You, Thank You, Thank You. I happen to think it's more important to say "Thank You" for what we have than "Please" for what we think we're lacking. And so, in the tradition of prayer beads, the idea here is to say a specific Thank You on each glass bead, and only after doing that do you get to say Please for something on the silver bead. It's a simple exercise that focuses the mind on the abundance that's all around us, making the things we want to ask for seem less important by comparison. Thirty Thank Yous to one Please. I like it. I'm going to wear it for a few days and see how my own focus shifts. Maybe I'll send one to Nora Ephron too, because I am really quite thankful for my neck. It holds up my head, and gives me a nice place to hang necklaces. I'd like to help Nora feel better about her neck too.