The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

This time of year, when the bright colors of fall have fallen off or blown away, driving to work is rather dull, with faded goldfields, brown dirt, dry grass, and dead stems. Usually, I'm a little behind on a Monday. Monday is the Mountaineers' most hectic morning, and I have always told myself to get there earlier. Still, I delayed either because I was enjoying my morning sleep or enjoying a slow cup of coffee while reading my bible. It is also always possible I have left a responsibility from the night before to complete in the morning before I go to work.

It was cold, the first cold frozen morning of the year. I was driving, just driving, not inspired.

And then I turned, driving a different direction, the sun came up, and the sun's ray hit all my mirrors from behind, and all of a sudden, I was bathed in bright, intense, golden light. The sun also reflected off the road's reflectors. And all of a sudden, all those dried grass and lone stems were reflecting diamonds, thousands of diamonds. And instantly, I was lifted. Inspired. Celebrating.

And I once again realized how simply I needed to approach my day. How easy it is to find the glory to reach higher.

It's also easy to allow my surroundings to tear me down. I allow myself to dig a deeper hole. I was wallowing in inactivity and procrastination. I go with the flow, which is totally against what I've told myself my entire life not to do.

It's Thanksgiving. And being grateful is a choice. Having an attitude of gratitude is a decision we need to make daily. It is so easy to get into a complaining mood. It is easy to agree or, if not agree to remain silent when those around you are being critical of others. Easy to find a reason to complain, not so easy to decide to see your circumstance differently. I hear so many adults complain because children have an attitude. They criticize students that are bullies. But if you dig deep enough, you will see that negative attitudes surround them. We learn our attitudes; we take them with us into adulthood.