My seven year -old granddaughter was spending a lot of time calling me when the Pandemic began. She is quite the conversationalist! She knew just how to connect with me by asking me how my day was going, what was I doing today, what was I having for lunch etc. She would make me laugh out loud at all times and throughout the day I would remember things she would say and laugh again! It was great for my immune system as laughter raises that vibration.

Then one day she started asking me what is your rose and what is your thorn? I wasn’t quite sure where she was going with this and it took me a minute to get on board. What she wanted to know was what was going well for me today or what was I going to do that I wanted to do and was looking forward to. The thorn was something I had to do but wasn’t really into doing that much. Every day she got me thinking about what was my rose and what was my thorn. She was usually my rose as you can well imagine! Some of my thorns were maybe doing too much laundry or cooking LOL! Then we would venture into how she felt about this quarantine and what was her rose and thorn. I was her rose too, she enjoyed having me to call, which made my day! Some of her thorns were missing her friends, concern for some of the health workers who were parents of friends of hers, and like most of us wondering when this will be over! She and her sister both said one day that their rose was being at home together with each other and their parents and their thorn was being at home together with each other and their parents! So funny, so wise, and so true!

I began asking my friends what was their rose and what was their thorn as I ask you today. Have you ever thought about this? From this exercise, I also began to look at many situations and ask how can I flip this around? What does it look like on the other side? Just like my grandchildren noted, being with each other day in and day out was challenging at times but also had it’s many beautiful moments to reflect on. Are there things that you can challenge yourself to flip around and look at the upside of them?

By doing this you can often elevate yourself and add harmony to your days. The more you do this the more you move into gratitude and find many more roses in your day than thorns! Focusing on what is going well, what brings you joy is often a choice we have. Since my last blog have you had a chance to see what brings you joy? Is it music, dance, children, nature, reading, writing, connecting with friends while keeping physical distance, painting, or perhaps learning something new? Even if you are busy finding a bit of time to engage in the things you love or bring you joy gives you a chance to clear your head, raise your vibration, and bring your best self forward. Tell me, what is your rose today? What is your thorn?