Attitude of Gratitude

This post is mainly for myself but you are welcome to read. Many of you know or have heard me talk about how Travis travels a lot for his job. Well Sunday night he was preparing for a trip to NYC and we were all saying our goodbye's and Landon starting crying and complaining about how he is gone and then Dayton joined in as well. It is something that has happened before and it isn't always the kids that have initiated it. Something clicked in me and I just said "NO MORE". I told the kids that they can miss their dad when he is gone and get excited for him to come home but we will not be complaining about him being gone ANYMORE! I then explained how we are very fortunate that our dad has a good job and is able to provide all the needs and wants for our family and that we need to show gratitude and support to him and gratitude to our Heavenly Father for giving us this blessing. Complaining about it isn't the way we show gratitude. Especially now with all that is going on in the economy and so many people are out of work and losing their homes and struggling and would be so grateful for such opportunities as we have been given, I just can't stomach any more negativity. I feel responsible for the "culture" of whining about Travis being gone because I feel I created it in our home--so I am done now. When Travis was first approached about taking this job neither of us were on board. He was content with Pfizer and we didn't feel the need to change companies and have him traveling and away from our family so much. To make a long story short the offer kept coming to us in different ways and Travis finally said we should pray about this (novel idea). To be quite frank I didn't want to pray about it because I usually do get answers to my prayers and I didn't want the answer to this prayer to be that we should take this job so I didn't pray about it (I know, I'm a pillar of faith). Anyway, Travis did pray and felt he should take the job. So begrudgingly I supported him and have dragged my feet all the way trying to have a happy face but more faking it than actually feeling it. Although I was "obedient" to what we were suppose to do it has been hard because I've been feeling sorry for myself and my kids have picked up on that and others have picked up on that and now whenever anybody asks me "if Travis is out of town?" it is in a sympathetic way instead of just a normal conversational way. Have I made myself out to be such a martyr?? Apparently I have and I'm sorry for that. "Wow, poor me, I have an awesome family, a husband who works hard and would do anything for me, a wonderful home and beautiful kids and everything anyone could ever want and then some..... I feel really bad for myself". It's a new chapter at the Jensen home of "NO-Whiners allowed" and I apologize to Travis for whining and to anyone else if you have been the recipient. Love to all.