Reflections

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  1. Robin Ann
    Robin Ann
    1 week ago

    I think of my 2 life time friends from when we were all in 7th grade. We do not live close together but we are always close in spirit. Each one of us is going through something major with family members or just life challenges in general. We are all grateful for each other and our ongoing support. We get together at least once a year in the summer but trying to plan something to celebrate our birthdays. It isn’t always an easy task since something pops up & one of us is needed at home to help a loved one. However we are always grateful for our time together when we are able to get together.

  2. Ose
    Ose
    1 week ago

    Hopefully by playing my beautiful music instrument again, possibly expressing gratitude to the Lord and to kindred friends but it needs more exercise and to get involved with it. I have to give playing it and singing a regular space. Thank you for the question!

    1. Mary
      Mary Mantei
      1 week ago

      Yes, Ose. Enjoy nurturing the relationship between the two of you. It will likely do its part as well.🩷

  3. Ose
    Ose
    1 week ago

    Let´s see what came my way today. I offered an extra appointment during my free time for someone to say thank you for his trust and commitment. Later I stumbled over a YouTube video where a kind scientist sopke about quantum physics and the connection with the Dao, and I was happy to send the link to some dear friends of whom I assumed it could be of interest for them, in a way this guy offered us the possibility to sending really creative themes and thoughts to kindred creative friendx and possibly be inspired. If someone is interested in such a theme, this was the link (english language) https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=Shantena#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:9a43dc34,vid:nIL1AMt02Jk,st:0. My neighbour offered me a freshly baked bread this morning, fresh from his oven, so this morning I was even gifted with his creativity as a recipient of gratefulness. We do such things on and off just to express our appreciation vice versa. It was in fact a grateful day full of creative gifts shared with kindred hearts. Thank you to all concerned. Blessings to you all and to all who share and visit here. ✨🙏

  4. sparrow51014
    sparrow
    1 week ago

    This is not a new ‘creative way’,
    but one way of expressing gratitude
    that I have been practicing for quite awhile.

    When I clean my house,
    whether it be spring cleaning,
    or the more mundane every day work
    I thank my house for sheltering me,
    I thank the dust cloths,
    the tools of my trade,
    for being useful to my task.
    I thank the dishwasher,
    the washing machine and dryer
    (the first ones I’ve ever had),
    my sink,
    my cupboards,
    the dishes and cups and plates and bowls.
    I thank the rugs on the floors and my new vacuum cleaner,
    the soaps and waxes I use,
    as well as the detergent sheets I’m using,
    instead of the stuff that comes in large, plastic bottles.
    I thank my clothes as I fold them,
    the closets I squeeze them into . . .
    I thank the lights that come on at night,
    the hot and cold water that comes out of my faucets,
    and I thank my cozy bed when I climb in at night,
    tired and ready for sleep.

    When I work in my gardens
    I thank my body
    for being able to tolerate the stretching and bending,
    the tick spray
    for making me feel relatively safe from the biting insects . . .
    my tools,
    which make the digging of the soil easier . . .
    I thank the plants who have made it through another winter,
    (and grieve a bit for those who haven’t).
    I thank the water from my well,
    the fish emulsion with which I feed them,
    the fence around the veggie beds
    which protects them from rabbits, deer, and ground hogs.
    I thank the flowers that feed nectar to birds and butterflies.

    Everything is a thank you,
    and oftentimes
    I find myself saying it out loud. ♥

    1. Michele
      Michele
      1 week ago

      I love taking hot showers – I say thank you for the hot water heater making this happen 🙂

      1. sparrow51014
        sparrow
        1 week ago

        🙂

    2. Mary
      Mary
      1 week ago

      I love this Sparrow!
      Such a simple and wonderful way to feel grateful
      while cleaning the house and gardening!
      ♥️♥️♥️

    3. Joseph
      Joseph McCann
      1 week ago

      Sounds to me that you deserve a great big, Your Welcome.

      1. sparrow51014
        sparrow
        1 week ago

        And thank YOU,
        dear Joseph,
        for bringing your wisdom and grace
        to this place. ♥

  5. Antoinette88615
    Antoinette
    1 week ago

    Right now it’s late here and maybe I could express gratitude by saying thank you and I’m sorry for being selfish. I’m trying my best to let go of so many things and it’s challenging. Sometimes fear just comes up and it makes me freeze .

    1. Mary
      Mary
      1 week ago

      Please be gentle with yourself, Antoinette.
      Letting go is hard,
      and I would imagine that letting go of a lot of things at once would be very scary.

      1. Antoinette88615
        Antoinette
        1 week ago

        Thank you Mary . Yes it is and it does take time . I am in a hurry and that is not natures flow at all . You are right . When will I ever learn ?

        1. Mary
          Mary Mantei
          1 week ago

          You just did, Antoinette. And like all of us if we are students of life, you will have many opportunities to learn again. Blessings on your journey.🩷

    2. sparrow51014
      sparrow
      1 week ago

      I’m sorry to hear this,
      dear Antoinette . . .
      sometimes
      I have to focus on one thing I want to let go
      at a time.
      It makes it all
      seem less overwhelming . . .
      it happens to me too. ♥

      1. Antoinette88615
        Antoinette
        1 week ago

        Thank you so much sparrow you’re right focusing on one thing at a time would make a huge difference. I have ADHD and I have so many thoughts that flooded into me at sometimes paralysing my agreed and ones are also difficult because I want to make this stop, I want so much to be free from all these thoughts. Letting go is hard and many make it sound so easy .

  6. Mary
    Mary
    1 week ago

    I’m thinking about Anna and Pilgrim.
    I miss hearing from you. ♥️♥️♥️
    Mary

    1. Antoinette88615
      Antoinette
      1 week ago

      What happened to them? Where is Pilgrim??

    2. Anna
      Anna
      1 week ago

      Hi dear Mary.
      I am always here, even twice a day.
      But I admit that it is not easy for me to read and answer. It takes a long time and I am often tired, when I can finally relax at the end of the day.
      I am so happy to find you here and like you I also miss old friends.
      Many of them have gone and we have not seen them again, I hope they are well.
      Gratitude sustains me in the difficult moments that keep on troubling me but many things are going better.
      A big hug, dear Mary, I am so grateful for your kind words.

      1. Mary
        Mary
        1 week ago

        Hi dear Anna!
        It’s so good to hear from you!!!
        I’m so glad to hear that you are here each day!
        I have read that you have been active with a sport.
        Tennis I think.
        It’s wonderful to get the exercise and to have fun.
        Sending love to you dear Anna! ♥️♥️♥️
        Mary

        1. Anna
          Anna
          1 week ago

          🎾 yes!!

      2. Joseph
        Joseph McCann
        1 week ago

        ❤️

  7. Elizabeth H67151
    Elizabeth H
    1 week ago

    One ongoing struggle for me is that my husband, who has quadriplegia, often needs my help (for physical and medical reasons) IMMEDIATELY. So I have to drop whatever I am doing to help him. When he calls for help, I often say “o-KAY” in an annoyed tone of voice, because I am frustrated to have to break off whatever I was engrossed in doing. But I truly am so grateful for him! And even his immediate needs for help are something to be grateful for, because they can strengthen the important skill of being able to gracefully drop what I am doing if someone needs something (building some healthy detachment from MY needs, MY plans, MY projects). So one “covert” and different way I could express gratitude is by trying to feel gratitude when he interrupts me, or even if I can’t quite feel it, at least keeping annoyance from seeping into my tone of voice.

    1. Mary
      Mary
      1 week ago

      Dear Elizabeth,
      I read Antoinette and Sparrow’s response
      and realized my response (below) needsrethinking.
      Please forgive my simplistic response.
      I have not been in your situation
      but I can imagine that it must be exhausting.
      So no suggestions here, just sending my love.
      Mary

      1. Elizabeth H67151
        Elizabeth H
        1 week ago

        Thank you, Mary, Antoinette, and Sparrow for your thoughts and support! And Mary, I did not think your first response was simplistic ♥️

        1. Mary
          Mary
          1 week ago

          Thank you so much Elizabeth. I was very concerned that my words may have been hurtful, in that I did not express my concern for you having to deal with so much day after day.
          I care about you and know how kind and caring you are. So I am first of all awed by how much you are doing and have been doing. Sending love, Mary

    2. Antoinette88615
      Antoinette
      1 week ago

      Dear ELIZABETH, I’m so sorry this is challenging you . I can understand that this is hard for you . You are doing your best and that is good enough! Give yourself a break and allow whatever comes to come and know it’s passing through like a cloud. It’s ok to have feelings and we are here with you .

    3. sparrow51014
      sparrow
      1 week ago

      I’m truly getting this,
      dear Elizabeth,
      and it grinds on a person
      day after day,
      multiple times a day.
      I too,
      have been a caregiver,
      and know how emotionally exhausting it can be.
      You are aware . . .
      that’s the first thing.
      The second thing
      is to forgive yourself when you ‘feel that feeling’ of frustration and impatience.
      The third thing
      is to ‘act as if’ until it comes more naturally.
      You may be facing the most difficult challenge of your life
      and it will make you strong.
      Blessings to you
      with love . . . ♥

    4. Mary
      Mary
      1 week ago

      That’s a lot Elizabeth.
      I can see the need to respond without impatience.
      I can imagine how much that would mean to your husband.
      Sometimes we find it within ourselves, perhaps from the grace of God,
      to find joy in that which was previously hard to deal with.
      But that is a lot. Best wishes to you and sending love.
      Mary

  8. Yram
    Yram
    1 week ago

    I will create thank you notes for those in our lives that have come forward to help.

    1. sparrow51014
      sparrow
      1 week ago

      I did that during covid,
      dear Yram . . .
      thank you
      for bringing this up
      as I think I will write some notes today
      for other helpers in my life. ♥

    2. Mary
      Mary
      1 week ago

      How are things going, Yram, with your husband recovering at home?
      Please respond only if you feel comfortable doing so.

      1. Yram
        Yram
        1 week ago

        Mary, it was rough. We have to find a routine. We got word he was accepted at a rehab facility. Today I will take him there. I am hopeful he will gain more strength and then once at home it would be less difficult.
        Thank you!

        1. Mary
          Mary
          1 week ago

          Sending love. ♥️

  9. Carol Ann Conner
    Carol
    1 week ago

    Take more time to meditate and contemplate…clear my monkey mind…I read Richard Rohr’s daily meditation before I read today’s question. Rohr’s words and the monk Thomas Keating’s contemplative exercise reminded me that I do not spend enough time working on my own growth to truly help others. I was reminded that we are creators. I think we sometimes forget that what we dwell on in our minds creates an energy that heals or harms ourselves and others. Hears a link to the meditation if you care to read it.
    https://cac.org/daily-meditations/a-simple-practice/

    1. Mary
      Mary Mantei
      1 week ago

      Carol, thank you for the reminder of putting our own house in order so we can be open and available to others. 🩷

    2. Joseph
      Joseph McCann
      1 week ago

      Thank you, Carol.

    3. sparrow51014
      sparrow
      1 week ago

      I really enjoyed Richard Rohr’s daily meditation today,
      dear Carol,
      and am so pleased that you posted it.
      I usually visualize the sky with clouds passing by,
      but I like the imagery of boats on water.
      Thank you. ♥

    4. Mary
      Mary
      1 week ago

      “…what we dwell on in our minds creates an energy that heals or harms ourselves and others.”
      Thank you Carol. I needed to hear that and remember it. I think I will copy it and hang it on a wall.

  10. Mary
    Mary
    1 week ago

    I am grateful for my home.
    I could express this gratefulness by organizing a closet in my living room.
    The job was already started when we had to have the ducts in our house replaced.
    All of the stuff had to be taken out of the closets and is now in boxes.
    I could enjoy looking at all the old items and finding creative ways to store them.
    It’s mostly Christmas items.
    Some will be discarded or stored to be given to charity
    next fall when these items might be desired. 🎄🎄🧑‍🎄

  11. D
    Drea
    1 week ago

    I’ve been spring cleaning and decluttering, and Mary M.’s comment helped me realize this can be done with gratefulness. So: more spring cleaning, more decluttering today, with gratitude for all that my home is providing me. The comfortable temperature, soft couch, useful table, artistic decor, cozy bed, fridge and freezer to keep food fresh … there’s so much.

    1. Linda72766
      Linda
      1 week ago

      I love this, Drea. There is indeed so much we have to be grateful for.

    2. Mary
      Mary
      1 week ago

      Thanks Drea for expanding on the gratefulness
      one can feel for a home,
      and giving me extra incentive to organize!😇

  12. Carla
    Carla
    1 week ago

    Though this may sound simplistic, when I’m in situations to say “thank you” to vendors, or people who cross my path today, I will add a big Grin. This will be instead of just a simple smile. And for some I encounter, I’ll add a hug. Blessings to all on this new day. 😁🤗

    1. Mary
      Mary Mantei
      1 week ago

      Thanks for the extra punch of positive energy in the world, Carla.🩷

  13. Ngoc Nguyen
    Ngoc Nguyen
    1 week ago

    The Action for Happiness reminds me of a wonderful way to express gratitude: appreciating my hands for what they allow me to do. I can use my hand to type sweet messages and then send them to my loved ones. ✉

    1. Mary
      Mary Mantei
      1 week ago

      Lovely, Ngoc.🩷

    2. Michele
      Michele
      1 week ago

      Thank you again Ngoc for sharing that website – it has become part of my morning routine and I share it every morning with my kids and best friend.

    3. L
      Loc Tran
      1 week ago

      My Ngoc, that sight has many good ideas. I remember the daily activity you’ve talked about before.

  14. Patti
    sunnypatti
    1 week ago

    I’m so grateful that we sold our food trailer this past weekend and am trying to think of a creative way to express that since it was really stressing us out. It’ll be great to deposit that money in the bank… but I can’t think of any new or creative way to express my gratitude. I prayed and did my affirmations and trusted, and it all worked out. The best I can do is say thank you and keep doing the work.

  15. Mary
    Mary Mantei
    1 week ago

    I have the loveliest little studio upstairs in our 1898 built home. I love the space and yet I really let it go and piles grew like, well, weeds. Unwanted and persistent! Yesterday, I spent time in my studio attempting to tame it a bit and had quite a lot of success. Once I got going, I was a ruthless sorter! We created the studio about 5 years ago since I really wanted a space to call my own. And I was and am so grateful for my sanctuary. So, I will commit an hour or so today to continue the process and look for creative ways to use the space beautifully and also practically. It will be my way of giving thanks. 🩷

    1. Mary
      Mary
      1 week ago

      Organizing a space as a way of giving thanks for it.
      I love this idea!

      1. Mary
        Mary Mantei
        1 week ago

        You know, Mary, I hadn’t thought about “organizing as a way of giving thanks” until this question arrived. I plan to use it often.🩷

    2. D
      Drea
      1 week ago

      Dear Mary, decluttering as gratitude is a fabulous idea! You’ve inspired my own expression.

      1. Mary
        Mary Mantei
        1 week ago

        We never know when an idea will light us up do we, Drea? Enjoy.🩷

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