Gratitude #39

I think that at some point I mentioned that I am grateful to my mother for showing me all the things I don't want to be or do in my life.

Today I realized something a bit deeper than that. I called this morning and instead of asking her "How are you?" which inevitably leads to a litany of all that is wrong, I told her some exciting news. I had been reading about various advances in science - like being able to upload your memories to a computer and then possibly downloading them to a new body - like printing a heart - like taking skin cells, making stem cells from them and then growing any body organ from the stem cells. My mother shared my wonder and excitement and the conversation evolved from there. We had a terrific talk.

So I'm grateful that at age 96 my mother is totally brain alive (as opposed to brain dead) and can grasp so many ideas and concepts and can talk about them intelligently. For the first time in dozens and dozens of phone calls with her, I felt good when I finally hung up. And it wasn't because she had changed - my mother is exactly the same. I had to change.

And the lesson has to be learned over and over again - if I want different results, I have to do it differently. I am the only person in any of my relationships who must change.

That's the good news. It means that all the power for the results in my life are in my hands. And for that I am very grateful indeed.