Soup

 "You don't have to be grateful for everything."

It was stated with the obvious bitterness and pain of someone carrying a heavy load.  

And I agreed. We don't have to be grateful for everything.  

But there is ALWAYS something to be grateful for.  

Or as Elder Gary Sabin recently said, "you will never be happier than you are grateful.

The Lord declared, “And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious.” Perhaps this is because gratitude gives birth to a multitude of other virtues.

How our awareness would change if every morning we awoke with only the blessings we were grateful for the night before. Failure to appreciate our blessings can result in a sense of dissatisfaction, which can rob us of the joy and happiness that gratitude engenders."

It's just sometimes I forget to look for the small ways.

So I caught myself earlier today asking, "What am I grateful for in this moment right here, right now?"

And I looked at my bowl of soup.

Our head cafeteria engineer recently added the special soup line for teachers.  

Two choices each day.  Wisconsin Cheddar or Mexican Street Corn today.  For $2/bowl.

I'm grateful for soup.  

And kind coworkers.  

And crunchy saltines that soak up the rich broth.  

I'm grateful for the modest price which makes it feel like a treat every single day.  

And the warmth in my belly.  

I'm grateful that I can take it back to my room and eat with kids who needed a listening ear during lunch.

And that there is a new flavor surprise waiting in the morning announcements each and every day.  

It seemed like a little thing.  

That bowl of soup.  

"You will never be happier than you are grateful."