Tis The Season of Gratitude 2013

Blog post #363 of 365

Every year I challenge myself to do better. A few years ago a friend on Facebook challenged me to write down a little gratitude every day through Thanksgiving week. She claimed it was hard. I decided to try through the end of the year. The next year I began November first and continued through January first. It has been five years now. This year I thought I'd post them here too and maybe expound a little. Oddly enough I feel safer that my outspoken friends will less likely to put up negative comments here. Probably because I don't promote my blog. I do it for me. If you're reading it I am grateful for that too. I'll break them up a little so I don't end up with a really long post written over two months.

November, a season of gratitude I am taking literally.

Gratitude day 1
I am so grateful for social networks. I remember when I got my first computer. I had email. I could write letters to people I hadn't seen in forever and get a response back pretty quickly. What a joy that was. Now we have social networking where we can easily communicate pretty much daily with people halfway across the world or across the house. It is amazing. The ability to see your faces no matter where you are is fantastic. I love reading your words, especially when you need and ear or make me laugh.
I am thankful for social networks.

Obviously this was written on a FB post because I can't see your face as you read this blog. That would just be creepy.

Gratitude day 2
I am grateful for photos. I am grateful for the moments of time captured through the years in photos. I am grateful for the ability to share photos on the internet, on the walls of your homes, in our mobile devices and the old school wallet sized some of us still carry. I am especially grateful to see my friends and family who are taking time to scan our histories in photos into digital media so they can be shared long after we are gone.
I am thankful for photos.

In my bedroom, one wall is completely covered in photos of people I love. In my handbag I have wallet sized photos of my grandkids because I am 'that grandma' and they are so cute. I love taking and sharing pictures, it is a part of who I am.

Gratitude day 3
I am grateful for my faith in God. I am grateful we live in a country where we have the freedom to choose our own religious beliefs or lack there of. I am grateful for the ability to gather as a group of believers and worship together. For me it is an amazing feeling. For those of you who do not have a belief in a higher power I am in no way trying to discount your beliefs.
I am grateful for my faith in God.

Gratitude day 4
I am grateful for freedom of choice. It is my opinion a God given right. I am grateful we live in a country where unless I am going to cause harm to myself or others I can do just about anything, well anything within reason anyway. I love that nobody is taking away my freedom of choice. We can't prevent others from making bad choices because if we did then some day someone might try to take away our ability to make choices both good and bad. I appreciate the difficulty that comes with such freedom but I am willing to respect your freedom in order to retain mine.
I am thankful for freedom of choice.

May we all make god choices.

Gratitude day 5

I am grateful for phones. They keep me connected to people. I can pick up a phone and instantly connect, well unless calling a government agency. I'm pretty sure most of us get our information online but once in a while getting clarification or making appointments come from a phone call. But what I enjoy most is being able to check on friends and family or getting the unexpected call. Like the occasional early morning call from my grandsons on their way to school or the random come over and play calls. Those really are the best.
I am thankful for phones.

My phone happens to be a smart phone so sometimes my information comes from online from my phone. Isn't technology wonderful! (No that was rhetorical and not an actual question!)

(I have decided to heck with fonts. I copied and pasted these and I don't want to transcribe anymore.)

Gratitude day 6
I am grateful for my mouth, my nose and breathing. Don't laugh this is serious. I have developed some rough allergies that are getting worse all of the time. Which sometimes, okay often, require I wear a mask when I'm out in public and sometimes when I'm home. I like breathing so I wear the masks. While wearing the mask few people can tell when I smile at them. I guess they think I have squinty eyes or something. I like smiling. I make the germ-a-phobes nervous and they usually take a wide berth. To be honest I'm a little amused by the germ freaks. Kids are either a little freaked out or very curious. I like kids, it bothers me that I may frighten them. Sadly I've gotten so used to wearing the masks that I'll forget I have one on. Try taking a sip of water or tasting something with a mask on. It doesn't always end well. Through all of this I have gained a lot of appreciation for the lower part of my face and the act of breathing.
I am thankful for my mouth, nose and breathing.

Breathing is exceptionally wonderful and people take it for granted every day! But not I. I am ever grateful!!

Gratitude day 7
I am grateful for the increased number of people expressing gratitude each year. When I started this just a few years back there were a few people doing it right about Thanksgiving day or Thanksgiving week but every year more and more people are joining me. Well maybe not joining me specifically but you get the idea. I am enjoying reading the gratitude posts each day. It makes my heart sing. I do love a happy heart.
I am thankful my friends are expressing their gratitude too.

I am excited that gratitude is spreading! 

Gratitude day 8
I am grateful for entertainment. I appreciate a good book, play, performance, movie, comedian, artist, photographer, television etc. I Appreciate the whole process from the creators on down to the finished project. I am grateful for friends and family who entertain me as well. I'd name names but there are so many and I wouldn't want to leave anyone off. Thank you so much.
I am thankful for entertainment.

Being in pain every day of my life that I can remember I am ever grateful for the distraction. Being of the creative type I love and encourage every type of entertainment!!! 

Gratitude day 10
I am grateful for unexpected things. We usually plan our lives. Plan our days. Plan our futures. Sometimes there are unexpected twists and turns. I love those unexpected things. The ones that make us think again, try harder, be flexible, and when we role with it sometimes we get to learn thing and sometimes we get to play more, enjoy more. 
I am thankful for unexpected things.

Aren't surprises fun? Okay so changing one's plans isn't always idea but it isn't the worst thing either! 


Gratitude day 11
I am grateful for our military men and women. All of them from the earliest to those serving today. I am grateful for all branches including Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy, the reservist, and even the support staff. Special thanks to the families of these brave men and women. It isn't an easy position to wait at home an wonder if they are safe and when they might return. I am grateful to those who didn't return and to those who who cam home draped in old glory. To all of you your service is appreciated and recognized today and every day.
I am thankful for all of our service men and women.

Posted on Veterans day, kind of expected do ya think? I do believe it takes a strong person to serve and to stay behind while people we love do such a noble thing.

Gratitude day 12
I am grateful for family. I have a big family. Some I see often, while others I rarely see but I love them all the same. I value them. I value my time with them. I wish we could spend more time together but everyone is busy so for now I appreciate every moment we get to spend together.
I am thankful for family.

 I love my family and Thanksgiving is next weekend for us. We do it a week before so everyone can get all of the turkey they want and can spread themselves not so thin. 

Gratitude day 13
I am grateful for neighbors. When I lived in Oklahoma I learned how friendly neighbors can be. After moving back to California I decided to be that kind of neighbor. Luckily I have really great neighbors. We exchange goodies during the holidays and produce when it comes in season. We look out for each other and really help each other out. 
I am thankful for my neighbors.

I really do have good neighbors and with few exceptions I have been very lucky this way. 

Gratitude day 14
I am grateful to be a mom and Grandmom too. I love being a mom. The best gift I have ever been given were my kids. I love the act of mothering. I love the little milestones as well as the monumental ones I got to go through with my kids. I love that my kids love me and trust me enough to still ask for guidance even as grown ups. I have loved being the surrogate mom to my students and several friends through the years. Now I have grandies and I get to be a grandmom which is better than being a mom. My kids that are parents are already way better parents than I was which means my grandies will be even better humans than my kids, who are pretty great humans if I do say so myself! I get to love them and watch them grow. There really is no better feeling than watching your grown child being a parent!
I am thankful to be a mom and grandmom.

There is an old saying, "If I knew how much fun grandkids were I'd have had them first." Silly really because for me I wouldn't trade being a mom nor would I miss out on the watching of my children as they parent. They really are doing a spectacular job! 

Gratitude day 15
I am grateful for people who go out of their way to help others. I have an amazing friends like Melanie who gathers supplies and heads to the Dominican Republic to help teach and make the lives better for orphans. (She is doing a trip in January feel free to contact her if you want help too.) Over the years my kids and I have given blood, helped move people, done yard work for neighbors, worked with developmentally delayed people, fed the homeless etc. I have recently been the recipient of doors being held open, random smiles, a kid taking my shopping cart back to the front of the store and a dessert switch rescue. None of them had to but they did and I am grateful. It is the little things that mean so much.
I am thankful for the people who go out of their way to help others.

Volunteers really make up a generous part of our workforce. Yes, pun intended. But honestly it is those every day things that I appreciate most. A kind word or deed from strangers helps buoy up my faith in humanity!