Being Grateful

I PREPARED to be picked up for church by putting a pair of cammo fatigues military pants, and a bright red T shirt with a college logo. Around here, that's dressed up, or at least you can get by with it. The message I have for myself, and for everybody else is that its all good, all is well. The universe, and life within it, is as it should be. I am grateful, and I intend to make gratitude teh main theme of my church going experience from now on. An attitude of gratitude, an expression I am sure has been used often. I fully embrace it. Later this afternoon, the local "Autumnfest" weekend activity will wrap up.It has been a lot fo fun, as always...And it came to pass that church went very well for me, as it ueually does. There ware a total of eight people in the building for the service, including the clergy. It was a fine service, and in a way its too bad that more people didn't attend. Every once in a while I am chosen to lead the Pledge of Allegiance and say the prayer at lunch at the local senior center. I am always happy to do it, I never make any direct reference to any certain religion, or any religion at all, I simply tell "God" that I am grateful for evyrhything I have in this amazing, wondrous thing we call "life", or a lifetime, I love and appreciate Him for giving it to me, I say. I always make sure I give great thanks to God. I have alwas enjoying praying, as I remember, even when I was a little kid, when I eas basically forced to do it by society, with my parent's evident approval. My parnts, I firmly beilve,were firmly opposed to influencing their children's religious evolution, and decided that kids could eevol their own religious views, over time, without any instruction, guidance, or persuasion. Nobody helping the kids, unless the kids ask for it. Both of my grandmothers were born in the late nineteenth century, and were strict, straight, stong Victorian women if ever there were such, and there were. They both wore dresses every day, dresses with long sleaves and the skirt nearly touching the ground, covering everything, ankles, feet, etc. One thing of which I am crtain; both of my grandmothers would be thrilled to knwo that I am going to church nearly every week, and have been doing so for at least a couple of years now. Whether they would approve of either the Unitarian or Presbyterian chucrh I cannot say; by the tiem I got through explaining to them that I didn't trn out to be a Christian in my adult years, they might be a bie disappointed, but they certianly shouldn't be surprised. During their lifetimes I never showed up at their churches, or any churches really, except for a few times here ane there. I was never forced to go to church when I was a child under eighteen,, but I was probably encouraged a tiem or two, evne though Is houldn't have been and probably was evident to both of my parents that I was simply not going to turn out to b a big time religious person, a devout Christian, and,I didn't. However, I believe in God and I am grateful, to God, if nothing else. "The infinitely superior spirit" as Einstein called God, whcih seems beautiful to me.