Another gratitude journal

So there's this lady at the bus stop. She's the only other mom that ever comes, while everyone elses wild brat children are running wild up and down the sidewalk, hitting signs, tearing limbs off trees, throwing rocks at cars etc...we are the only ones that supervise our children. Aster is her name. She's from a small tribe near Isreal. She doesn't speak much english, and she doesn't have any friends around here. She is genuine, she is caring, giving, understanding, and a great listener.
The other day I was talking to her about my "diet woes" and how the scale doesn't seem to want to budge no matter how much I try to make it budge. No matter how many times a week I exercise and no matter how little calories I eat. She started telling me in her broken english how I am beautiful, and how my body is fine, I am HEALTHY, my kids are healthy, I have a roof over my head, and a great husband, and to just be happy with what I've got. She told me how her brothers were both killed in the war, and how her family is so far away that she never sees them, and we should both praise God for what we have, and not worry about our bodies so much. She made me cry...and then she cried..this lady that I hardly know..and then we stood on the corner crying and hugging eachother. It was awesome. I love my life, I love my friends, and I love the amazing people that I meet that make a difference In my life.

I made Aster a gratitude journal today during naptime, to thank her for putting my mind in the right perspective, and reminding me that I really DO have it good.

Here are some pics. I'm going to give it to her tomorrow at the busstop before I leave for another convention in Texas.





I'm sure we'll both cry again once she reads what I write on the inside cover...