The power of Gratitude

@lowtide

Beautiful post of gratitude and a wonderful, wonderful family.  Your son (and husband)  both sound like mine and your daughter has so much to look forward to besides appreciation of what she has now and letting love win over the pandemic! 

Many happy blessings to the newlyweds and beautiful years ahead for all of you and lots more honey! 

? ?  ?

Thank you all for your kind responses! It’s wonderful when the our children get to the point in life where they’ve worked through so many struggles and are now seeing the fruits of their labors. It’s so satisfying as a parent to bask in that a little bit! ?

@lowtide

Absolutely! And boy oh boy oh boy, do a LOT of us understand!  Not to mention all that we've gone through as parents !  ? 

Somedays one just feels filled with such an incredible amount of love and gratitude that we've all survived day by some days and are here right now even in this place and incredibly challenging time! 

Blessings  and gratitudes abound for each and every day and keep on sharing. Makes me so truly happy when others are and I'm proud for you in all ways!

Today I am very so thankful to Trader Joes for providing a sense of normalcy and fun. 

Every year during Autumn,  Trader Joes fills their stores with a myriad of fall food products.  Walking into their store today was like a mixture of wrapping myself with a familiar sense of comfort and the joy I feel from my dog when I come home after being gone a few hours. You know, that tail wagging, barking, kissing, running around the house type of happiness.  

It is fall at Trader Joes.  Just like last year and the year before.  That means walking down aisles filled with everything fall including:

Pumpkin Joe Joe's, Halloween Joe Joe's, pumpkin waffles, pumpkin ale, pumpkin cookie and bread mixes, pumpkin vanilla candles, pumpkin soup, Autumn bisque, Autumn  Harvest pasta sauce, fall leaf tortilla chips, spicy pumpkin curry sauce( they do that?) , apple cider donuts, pumpkin bagels. pumpkin rolls with pumpkin icing, pumpkin samosas (what??),  butternut squash mac and cheese (wait what??) pumpkin empanadas (no way!!), pumpkin ginger ice cream cones, riced cauliflower risoto with butternut squash (where do they come up with this stuff?) vanilla bean paste (what can I make with that?) haunted gingerbread houses ( I don't have young kids.  Does it matter?) and every squash vegetable you can think of. 

Making choices was so difficult, but soooo fun. ( No, I did not get all of these, not even half.  Maybe close to half.) 

IT'S FALL!!!!

IT'S FALL!!!

IT'S FALL!!!

Pretty soon no more 100+ degree heat in AZ.  I will be able to go outside and take a walk. Take my dog for a walk ANY time of day.  Sit on the grass and read.  It will be cool at night.  I can plant beautiful flowers that love fall weather. Plant vegetables.  OPEN a window at night.

I am already putting out some fall decor.

I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR FALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today is the autumn equinox, "the period of struggle between darkness and light, death and life. It occurs when the night and day will be equal, and the journey of the Sun to actually get there also signifies the journey of the Universe. It is also the time when our sun begins to move into and towards the winter’s Darkness, our longest days. I am reminded of the balance of today, if only for a moment. I love the serenity of fall. There is peace here in the balance. 

@timo, it is my favorite time of the year. The splendor of autumn has no equal;-)

Whether you're a Christian, Muslim or Druid, it is also a great time to celebrate the harvest and equinox.

Tips: https://www.learnreligions.com/ways-to-celebrate-mabon-2562310  

If you decorate. Here are some tips:

Symbols: Cornucopia (horn of plenty), pinecones, seeds

Colors: Orange, red, yellow, brown, copper, dark yellow, dark green 

Foods: Corn, beans, squash, apples, pumpkins, cider, root vegetables, pomegranate, wine   

Herbs: Yarrow, rosemary, sage, mugwort, rosehips,   

Stones: Amber, citrine, cat’s eye, aventurine, sapphire, jasper 

Flowers: Sunflowers, thistle, marigolds 

Animals: Owl, stag, blackbird, salmon

Hosting a bonfire is also a wonderful thing to do with friends before the evenings get too cold. 

Create a positive moment in these dark times. It can bring great peace. ❤️ ? 

Part 1 (probably!)

I have written elsewhere on the forums about my somewhat less than easy journey this year. I've had some (not too serious) health issues, was on leave from work due to the situation and had to fight with Californai disability to recieve benefits from them. I ultimately lost my job due to one of the health issues, and then had to fight with unemplyment to get those benefits. I've already had one surgery and a followup procedure, and I'm on schedule to get another preventive procedure and another surgery within the next three weeks to be followed by at least six weeks of recovery. Through all of that, however - and actually *because* of some of it, I have so many things to be grateful for.

I am grateful for:

• my primary care doctor, who took me off of full duty back in February, which allowed me to have a much more relaxing last few weeks at that job.
• my pulmonologist, who saw the risks of doing my job in the Covid environment and put me off work for five months.
• my urologist, who recognized the signs of a worsening problem and insisted that I get it taken care of immediately.
• the kind and understanding people at both the state disability and unemployment offices for advising me on the best ways to proceed with my claims and appeals and helped me get all of the benefits to which I was and am entitled. Those benefits have allowed me to pay off a large chunk of my outstanding debt as well as paying for my extended COBRA insurance through the end of the year (and possibly longer).
• my mother, with whom I have lived for the past 12 years, for being my constant and unwavering (if sometimes annoying! ;-) ) support system even while navigating her own disability and retirement issues. (cont.)

(part 2)

• my former employer, for actually ending my employment with the option to be re-hired when I'm physically ready, if I choose. If I'd had to stay, I would have had to go back to work just at the time when Covid was spiking again, and I would have been at high risk because of what my job entailed. If I had stayed, I would also not have been able to get the surgeries and procedures I need in a timely manner because I would not have had enough available time off from work. I now have all the time I need, and I am free to make sure I am physically ready and able to work when the time comes. I can also do it at a relatively leisurely pace with much less stress. Although I very much enjoyed working with the people there as well as many parts of my job, I wasn't really happy there, so thank you, John and Lindsey! ;-)
• COBRA insurance. Although it's not cheap, I had already met all of my deductibles and out of pocket maximums through my insurance at work, and because COBRA is an extension of one's current benefit levels, all of that carried over, so I can now have everything done and not have to pay one red cent for any of it (which will likely end up being well over $200K) except the monthly premiums.
• having the time to decompress and get the rest I've been missing while working. I'm not quite physically ready to go back to work, but I know that when the time comes, I will be in a much better frame of mind.
• having the time and space to do some internal housekeeping. I still have a lot to do, but without the stress of a work schedule and having a little financial space to breathe, I can do it much more mindfully and with more focus.

Gratitude is necessary, yes, and it's truly the gift that keeps on giving because it changes your outlook on so many things.  All of these things - being off work, having to fight for benefits, having physical issues - all of that could have put me in a much less happy state.  I am grateful to all of the powers that be wherever they are for helping me to recognize how wonderfully things can and will work out if we just trust the universe and show our gratitude for everything, even the things that may not seem so good at the time. :-)

I recently joined your site but have been a reader for awhile now. I've been very grateful for this site because this year it has helped give me some hope and belief that good ultimately survives. I find myself trying to remember daily to appreciate that things that I am grateful for in my life. A few years ago, I found myself in the hospital for almost a month. It changed a lot of things in my life and I try to appreciate so many of the little things that often get taken for granted....a snuggle from my cat, quiet moments in the evening to read or listen to music, conversations with family about everyday things and trying something new even if its just a new dish or new author.  Some years back I kept a gratitude journal. Now going back and looking at my entries from years ago, I see that so many of things I valued most at that time such at hope, peace, family, security and so on are still the things I cherish the most. I've been through a lot of changes since that time but still that part of me is still there and it never hurts to remind myself of that. ? 

@liln22 Welcome :)   I too read and watched for a while, then joined in.  The group of angels who live here have allowed me to feel peace and calm, when I was ready to jump out of my skin.  I'm anxious by nature and I know that's not good.  Gratitude is a good practice and seems to open us up for more each day.  You see more, and feel more which allows you to appreciate more.  Plus, so many people all over the world are suffering.     Continue to let the peace and wisdom of those here bring you comfort.

@liln22

Welcome to our community!  Glad you decided to join us. What a great observation you made about the past things you were grateful for and the current things.  

Today I am grateful for my daughter who calls me everyday when she leaves work to say Hi! We basically share her commute home together on the phone and it is a beautiful way to stay connected.  

@liln22 welcome. I too read and watched for a while before joining in. I felt I was not ready to be so open and share my innermost self with virtual strangers. Once I hung around to feel secure and knew people from their posts and responses... the warmth , Love and Light and Purpose of being with my Tribe compelled me to join and contribute.  I have found only Love,Kindness, Support ,Knowledge and Guidance here...I think you will find it to be the same. Look forward to getting to know you also. :-)

Thank You so much for the warm welcome ? ! It means a lot to feel at ease and being with people open to sharing so much of themselves. Its been a real struggle especially this year to keep that positive hopeful focus ongoing. I admit I haven't always succeeded but I still keep trying to focus on appreciating those moments that bring even small moments of peace. Thank you ❤️ .

@liln22

Absolutely love that you have joined us likn22 and have almost immediately connected to the heart and spirit we have built in this community! 

@liln22

A beautiful example of a transformative experience and your already intensely strong connection to the energies of heart, spirit, and deepest meanings of gratitude. 

So grateful you have added that beautiful voice and spirit into this community as a now full fledged member of our tribe! 

I like to focus on gratitude all year long, and  November is a beautiful month to take stock of all in which there is to be grateful.

So, please help fill this post with a cornucopia filled with gratitude, even the small blessings which you recognize in your life.  The more the merrier. 

I hope to post a thought of gratitude each day this month. Since I missed yesterday, I will post 2 today.

Day One

This Community fills my heart each day I visit.  I am grateful for the blessings it offers to all of us who journey here and share their thoughts.

Day 2

I am grateful for the women suffragists who fought for the right for women to vote.  I am forever in their debt.  They were so brave and such strong light workers.  

@lovendures

I too, am grateful for this community and the uplifting joy it gives me. I am also grateful for my sister for introducing me to this loving community.

Gratitude Beatitudes
*our supportive forum and meditation circle
*the joy of cooking
*a cozy fire
*my Honey and our cat, Oscar

Forgot to do yesterday so ...

Day 3-  Knowing my vote was counted

Day 4-  Waking up the morning after a difficult night and finding comfort and peace here in our community.

I am grateful for my little cat Cleo who lavishes dog like affection on me every single night while I read this forum. 

Also my big, weird ,cute cat  Lollipop, who has been sitting in a storage box for three days now.

They are entertaining littles. :)