Daily: Reflect on 5 things for which I'm grateful.

1. Grateful for this quote I found this morning on gratefulness.org:
What is gratitude besides this playful engagement with life as it unfolds in all its challenges and delights?

2. Grateful for clever and wise quotations in general, where the truth of Shakespeare’s saying that “brevity is the soul of wit” is demonstated.

3. Grateful for 43 Things, and in particular right now for this amusing random quote that I found today:
“Never play leapfrog with a unicorn.” – Japanese saying

4. Grateful for the Internet and Google and Wikipedia, and the ability to quickly find out everything I would ever want to know about unicorns, including the above image, and the fact that unicorns are mentioned 8 times in the Bible!

5. Grateful that I’ve never played leapfrog with a unicorn.

6. Grateful that Thanksgiving is this week, and grateful that I have an invitation to Thanksgiving dinner.

^{image source}

1. I am grateful that the huge old tree and a smaller second one next to it that toppled over from the edge of my yard across the neighbor’s driveway and front yard yesterday did not hit any houses or people.

2. I am grateful that my kind neighbor called a tree service and that the machinery was removing the remains of the trees by the time I even knew what had happened. (I don’t know why I didn’t hear it fall at 4am, but I didn’t. I’m grateful it didn’t disturb my sleeping.)

3. I am grateful that I received a tax refund check in the mail yesterday which will help with any costs associated with cleaning up the damage from the storm.

4. I am grateful that my phone and internet service, which stopped working yesterday afternoon for awhile, started working again last night and is still working today.

5. I am grateful for no signs that my roof is leaking after all the rain.

6. I am grateful that Ida has moved on, although I’m concerned about the damage it’s already done from Central America to Virginia, and hoping that it does not become the perfect storm that some weather forecasters predicted could happen, including the one who posted the image above.

7. Even though I pray for peaceful resolutions to conflicts, I am grateful for the service of veterans, including my grandfather and my father and my uncle and many people I know here in Augusta who are active or retired military personnel.

1. I am grateful for coffee. I woke up very early this Halloween morning, and even though I don’t usually allow myself to make coffee at home in order to limit my consumption, I decided to treat myself a small pot. It was hot and good.
.
2. I am grateful for good news this morning that a special relative of mine came through major surgery successfully yesterday, and hopeful for a good recovery for her.
.
3. I am grateful for the internet. I truly do learn something new through it most days on topics from mangelwurzels to meditation, and I am increasingly grateful that it helps me stay in touch with people in my life.
.
4. I am grateful for a new blog on meditation that I’ve discovered, and particularly for this entry that I read this morning, from fear to peace, from the blog archives, where the blog author quotes from another website, gratefulness.org :Since fear is at the root of all that is wrong with our world, we start healing the world by overcoming fear through gratefulness. How about that, a whole website on gratitude? I think Halloween is at its root a holiday about fear. I’m such a fearful person, and I’m grateful to think that something so simple as making entries under this goal might help me overcome my fears.
.
5. I am grateful for my sobriety this morning, and for the beginning of a new year of sobriety today.

1. Today is cloudy, but yesterday was so rainy and dark and dreary that today is bright by comparison, and I am grateful for less gloominess.
.
2. Yesterday I spent time going through old junk on my computer, and I am grateful to be rid of at least some of it.
.
3. Yesterday I found an old e-mail from a professional organizer I had worked with way back when I lived in Cleveland, and I decided to e-mail her. We hadn’t corresponded since 2006, and I was so happy to find a new reply from her in my inbox this morning. I’m very grateful to her for all the help and friendship she has given me over the years.
.
4. Yesterday I got to go to my spiritual formation group in spite of all the rain, and I was grateful for the opportunity to get out of the house and spend some meaningful time with my friends there and learn more about their lives.
.
5. I’m grateful that I’ve re-connected with a cousin through facebook. He really tried to help me several years ago when I was going through a period of illness, in spite of, or maybe because of, his own health problems, and I’m grateful for his kindness and concern. I’ve lost touch with him since then, but I hope we can re-connect and catch up with one another, and I’m grateful to facebook for giving us that opportunity.
.
6. This morning I wrote a long e-mail in reply to my new-found old friend to bring her up to date with how my life has changed since 2006. I’m grateful for the opportunity to reflect on all that has happened to me since then, and to realize that in spite of my problems today, my life feels brighter. I have much for which I can be grateful today, including 43 Things. I did write to her about 43 Things, to let her know about how it has helped me.

1. Grateful for memories of my dad. He often used the phrase “slow as molasses in January,” usually to try to get me to hurry up. He was a wonderful father, and I’m grateful to him and for him.
2. Grateful that I was well enough on Sunday morning to donate blood, and that I did not faint afterwards, even though I came close.
3. Grateful for a friend who invited me to dinner, and to meet her friends who were visiting from out of town.
4. Grateful for a slow day yesterday, and for the opportunity to stay warm and take care of myself and rebuild my blood cells.
5. Grateful for a long sleep last night, and for getting up with my alarm clock this morning for a change.
6. Grateful for the sun coming out this morning and dissolving the early-morning fog.
7. Grateful to look forward to a visit with a friend later this morning, and a meeting with my spiritual formation group late this afternoon.

photo source

1. For rainpoems to brighten up a rainy morning.

2. For memories of a gloriously sunny and beautiful day yesterday, and some cell phone pictures to remind me of a visit to the canal.

3. For the opportunity to help a friend in need yesterday.

4. For my spiritual formation group.

5. For the lyrics “all things bright and beautiful” and “peace like a river in my soul” becoming reality for me yesterday.

image source
.
1. For being able to look out the window this morning at “Blue skies, smiling at me, nothing but blue skies, do I see”, just like the old Irving Berlin song.
.
2. For my roof. I’m able to also look out this same window at part of the roof that was recently repaired and feel grateful for the repairs, and for a roof that is no longer leaking.
.
3. For my house and my neighborhood. I’m very fortunate to have lived for so long in such a beautiful and safe place.
.
4. For sleep last night.
.
5. For understanding. I found this NYTimes magazine preview article, Understanding Anxiety, last night, which helps me understand my own anxious mind and the troubles it has caused me most of my life.
.
6. For friendship. I know I’m not alone in my anxiety. In fact, we were sharing stories of panic attacks in my book group yesterday.
.
7. For the sense of a broad margin to my leisure today. My INNER CRITIC is anxious that I’m not getting more done today, faster, better. Another part of me is telling myself to relax and enjoy this beautiful first day of October. Not to give up on doing anything, but just simply to relax and enjoy whatever I decide to do today.

source
.
1. I’m grateful for frogs, all those things in my life each day that challenge me, inconvenience me, exasperate me, and make me want to escape and avoid and procrastinate. They’re part of life, and I’m fortunate to be alive.
.
2. I’m grateful for a roof over my head, even though it happens to be leaking at this time. I’m grateful that someone has agreed to come this week to take a look at it, and hopeful that they repair it soon. I’m fortunate to have had a roof over my head since the time I was born, and not had to deal with too many leaks in all that time.
.
3. I’m grateful for my phone service, which provides me with communication and access to the internet, even though it stopped working for awhile yesterday. I’m grateful for a helpful service rep, and grateful that somehow it started working again. I’m very fortunate to have always had telephone service, which is generally very reliable.
.
4. I’m grateful for my car, which has provided me with reliable transportation for many years. It is getting older and not so reliable, and that can be inconvenient, but I’m fortunate to have a car.
.
5. I’m grateful for my cats, who provide me with faithful companionship, even though they occassionally do things that are inconvenient. For some reason, ever since my one cat died a little over a week ago, one or both of the remaining two have been peeing in the corner of the hallway. Often. This particular spot has a long and intermittent history of problems, and there’s no good way to block it off, other than locking both cats in a bedroom. Sigh. Is this a way of showing their grief? But it’s just a part of the joys of cat ownership, and I am fortunate in many ways to have cats in my life.
.
6. Still working on gratitude for having to file my taxes. At the very least, I’ll be grateful when it’s done and I don’t have to think about it any more for the rest of the year.

1. For my mom being released from the hospital with news that her chest pain was probably not caused by heart problems.
.
2. For my brothers and sisters who are caring for my mom as she goes through more doctor visits and tests.
.
3. For time spent on the phone with friends and relatives this week, and plans for visits next month coming together.
.
4. For my cat, who has been sickly the past two days, showing signs of improvement tonight.
.
5. For taking time for a visit with a friend today.

image source: wikipedia article on Grape.

1. For a friend who is leaving Augusta. It’s not a surprise that she’s moving, but it is a surprise that it will be happening so soon, much sooner than everyone had expected. I am so grateful to have had her as part of my life here in Augusta. She welcomed me warmly when I was new here in town, and has been an important part of my life and the life of many friends and community members. She will be greatly missed.

2. For my book group, and our morning together yesterday watching the movie “August Rush.” Also, for help with unfamiliar equipment. How many women does it take to start a DVD? Answer yesterday: a big bunch (nine, in fact). lol.

3. For the Clerk of Courts office, which managed to find some records for a friend, even though it took several hours of waiting. I’m grateful too that they waived the charge to my friend because of the long delay. I’m grateful that we got the documents delivered to where they needed to be on time in spite of the long delay.

4. For the uncomfortable wooden bench in the dimly-lit hallway of the courthouse. It was better than nothing. At least there was a seat available, the air conditioning was working in the hallway, there was a pop machine available, and even though I grew too tired to read the Illiad, I could take several cat naps and also watch people get on and off the elevators to help pass the time.

5. For the giant platter containing a big bunch of fried shrimp and all the fixings, more than enough to feed two people, to share with my friend as a reward for waiting several hours at the courthouse.

6. For a good walk this morning.

7. For the opportunity to stop and shop at a wonderful grocery store this afternoon. This is the first time I’ve been in their new and expanded location, and it is a delight for all the senses. Grateful too to find some produce on sale.

8. For pet therapy with a big bunch of different pets yesterday and today.

9. For a big bunch of friends.