"Everything is a gift. The degree to which we are awake to this truth is a measure of our gratefulness, and gratefulness is a measure of our aliveness."

-- Brother David Steindl-Rast, Jesus and Lao Tzu: The Parallel Sayings

When life is throwing you a series of knuckleballs it can be close to impossible to find things to be thankful for.

As greenkeepers we face adversity on an almost daily basis. Unrealistic expectations, unpredictable weather, equipment malfunction...the list goes on and on.  It may take what might seem like a super human effort at times, but  keeping a grateful perspective can help tremendously.

Last spring it was difficult to watch our brethren in the Michigan/Ontario area face the recovery from the devastating winter of 2014. Copious amounts of dead turf can turn the stomach of even the most seasoned veteran.  But thankfully, those who looked upon the damage as an opportunity to build for the future are in a better place this spring. If we are wise enough to see through the fog of calamity, the chance to improve our situation is never far away. 

Thankfully, it doesn't take devastation to wake us up to having a grateful nature. Pausing to take stock of the simple things that accompany us each day goes a long way to keeping our hectic lives in balance.

Here are just a few of the grateful moments in my personal life from this past week:

• My son Lucas came to work with me last Sunday morning. Having your kids come to work with you is not only super fun for them, but can be very rewarding for you as well. Lucas (an avid naturalist and bird watcher )was educating me in the local bird calls and sounds that I hear every morning. Thus we not only made a positive memory, but my every day experience on course was deepened just a bit.

   

• A simple drive to our local association meeting (4 hrs round trip) always manages to turn into one of those deep  talks with a great friend. I always appreciate the opportunity to chat with my brother-in-arms (and fellow TurfNetter), Mark Perry. We often solve many of the world's problems on this quarterly drive (and promptly forget the solutions by the next day).

   

• Our golf course is finally rounding into shape after one of those exceedingly long spring seasons. Greens are starting to behave like greens, fairways are filling in, and bunkers are getting trimmed.  I have to tip my hat to my turf crew and especially my Assistant/Technician, Jonathan McGuigan. The boys worked tremendously hard over the past couple of months and it is extremely rewarding to see all the work paying off.

   

• I got to spend the whole day (almost completely uninterrupted by kids or cell phone) with my beautiful wife (of 19 yrs) Jill on our anniversary this past Monday. Jill is the reason that I do what I do and I am eternally grateful for her every day. Our job can be a trying one for a spouse and family, but having a supportive spouse can make a world of difference.

We spend a great deal of time and effort cultivating healthy turf. It takes a similar effort to cultivate a grateful attitude towards our life. If along with core practices like tree removal, topdressing, or aeration we could choose presence, intention, and the occasional pause... we cannot help but have healthy turf and a grateful soul.