Gratitude and Joy: Hot Running Water and O Come O Come Emmanuel

Gratitude and Joy, Day 6

I am grateful for: 

Hot, Running Water
Yesterday, having no where to be and being somewhat behind my time in the a.m., through one thing and another, I didn't shower until late in the afternoon. So by the time I got around to it, it felt like a real blessing to be able to wash away two days' worth of grime under a steady stream of hot water. Hot running water is one of those things I mostly take for granted--it's always there, and if it's not, it's because something is *wrong*--and it's easy to forget how lucky we are--within the world and within history--to have access to it with the twist of a knob. As someone with cranky sinuses and perpetually tight shoulder and neck muscles, I'm particularly grateful to be able to apply hot and steam to myself every morning, and not just because it helps me get clean. 

I feel joyful when I listen to:

"O Come O Come Emmanuel"
This plaintive Christmas hymns is one of my favorites. It never fails to give me the shivers. There's something elemental about these harmonies. This is a nice version. Close your eyes. Yes? Shivers.