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We found some treasures in our very old house. A bike that my friend fixed up for me because mine from 1980’s was not repairable. I haven’t ridden it yet but plan to next wkend. And we found an antique rocking chair that he is fixing the webbing on the seat part for me. It is a gift that he likes to fix things : )
My elderly cousin is in a new facility, 4 hours from me. She has a close friend who lives nearby and visits my cousin often. The friend provides me with updates, which is a comfort. My cousin is 96 and was my grandpa’s niece. The last of this entire line.
I receive genuine gifts
every day
from the souls who people this place . . .
I receive kindness,
acceptance,
humor,
wisdom and graciousness.
This is precious to me,
as I often feel alone in my day to day world,
finding solace,
comfort,
and joy
in my gardens
and in the love of my cats and my husband.
There is really nothing of a spiritual component
to my friendships . . .
these few
are my companions
in the superficial aspects of my life,
and I value them.
They offer a lightness
and a presence to my days,
but do not go deep . . .
I don’t know if it is because they don’t think deep,
or feel deep,
or if they are trying to avoid it.
It is fine . . .
I accept them as they are.
It is here
where I can express the thoughtful part of me . . .
here,
where I come,
heartbroken
that the old gratefulness forum
has all but died,
here is where I come to heal.♥
❤️🌱dear Sparrow.
❣️
You gift us as well, Sparrow, with so much kindness, acceptance, wisdom and graciousness. I am so glad you are in this group. And yes, this is a special place to be able to “go deep” and have new insights that can then help us in our daily lives.
. . . things that help us
in our deeper lives,
which is where ‘Truth’,
as Antoinette calls it,
dear Elizabeth,
lies . . . ♥
Thank you for the gifts you give us every day, Sparrow.
I love how this space offers a safe place for healing. I believe that’s why I found it when I did!
Me too,
dear Sunnypatti . . . ♥
Me three.
Thank you for being here with us, dear sparrow, offering your heart and light. You are a treasure. Yes, the old forum… and, as Mary said, Grateful sea, Kevin, so many others who were sharing their heart … all gone. So sad. May they be blessed, wherever they are. ✨
I believe I am thinking of an older forum,
back before 2007,
dear Ose,
but no matter . . .
these people are precious to all of us
and deserve blessings . . . ♥
Yes, the group that was the gratitude lounge before the website was reconfigured.
That was a very regular group that had been active for many years.
I miss that group very much too.
One person that I miss so much is Grateful Sea.
I haven’t heard from her in ages.
On Friday, after my husband and I had taken our daily walk, and then gone out to eat, I needed to visit my Mom.
Her assisted living facility was on the way home, so rather than take me home, after which I would get in my car and drive over to visit Mom,
my husband dropped me off and then came back later to pick me up.
That was a lot less running around for me, and more running around for him.
He is such a good guy. I am grateful for his thoughtfulness and his kindness.
It’s so nice to have a supportive partner. I’m happy for you, too, Mary!
It means so much to me.
Thank you SunnyPatti.
Such a dear one being so caring and supporting you. I am happy for you having him at your side.
Thank you, Ose
It sounds like you have a keeper,
dear Mary. ♥
Yes, I think I will keep him. 🥰
My Mom loves him very much too.
I close friend dropped in out of the blue from far away and I didn’t know he was coming . We spent the weekend having fun hiking and having really good dinners. And ended the weekend helping me paint some windows and fixing things around my house. It was really nice and I appreciate it.
Sounds like a wonderful weekend. Sometimes, I think, we need surprises to break us out of routine and remind us to have some spontaneous fun!
And you were kind, Antoinette, to drop everything you would have otherwise done, to spend your weekend with him. It sounds like it worked out well for both of you! It’s good to hear that you had such a nice weekend, my friend.
Thanks Mary. 🌻
I received the gift of the company of others, while working late, last night.
I have new neighbors down the street. It’s a young couple in there early 20’s. They are very kind and she checks on me often d sometimes joins me on my daily walk. A couple of weeks ago she drove me into the Kansas city to attend a secular ritual that was led by one of my cousins. I do not drive in what has become a very large metropolis so I would not have been able to attend without the ride she offered. The phone just rang! She is going to a store in KC and just ask me to join her. She said, “You need to get out of your house!” So I shall go get ready for an adventure!
Sounds like great neighbors! What a blessing.
I was born in Kansas City (MO side) and lived there for a year during college back in the early 90s. It was big then… I can only imagine how much bigger it is now!
That’s wonderful to hear, Carol!
Nice attracts nice.
It sounds like you have a lovely new friend!
I received the gift of my husband’s understanding. He loves and accepts me even when I am not as nice as I could be. (I always apologize).
Dear Linda, I often wonder how you are doing with all the stress and sadness that must come with your husband being quite ill.
It sounds like you and your husband have a very good relationship. It’s hard to be always kind and positive with all you have to deal with. It sounds like your husband gives you grace for not being perfect. I hope you give yourself that grace as well.
Sending much love to both of you, Mary.
Thank you so much, Mary. I just shared this with my husband. We are both so touched.
♥️
The gifts of time and follow-through from volunteers and speakers made an event I organized this last week a big success.
Yesterday my daughters and I gave each other the gift of practicing our Spanish for an hour in a WhatsApp call. One daughter is going to Colombia for a month. She’s the most fluent–lived in the Dominican Republic for a while performing with a musical group at a resort. The other has been working with the Duolingo app. I’ve been refreshing my high school Spanish with Pimsleur audiobooks from the library and the (free) Language Transfer app. We’re going to do this on a regular basis with the gifts of patience and assistance from Google Translate when needed para el vocabulario.
Today I’ll receive the gift of time from a best friend. She’s been gone on vacation for a couple of weeks of camping. She invited me to get together for iced tea under the trees in her back yard. I’m taking her some of my canning, a few tomato seedlings, and a fancy baking tin I don’t use. She’s giving me spices she included in her Penzey’s order (we often bundle our orders to reduce the carbon footprint of shipping) and some rhubarb; she grows this giant “Jurassic” rhubarb!
My husband gave me the gift of his strong muscles yesterday to pick up bags of compost and soil mix for the pots I’ll be filling this morning. Time to move some seedlings out into the big world and see if they can make it after getting a late start. This isn’t the first trip to the hardware store for this kind of load and it won’t be the last as I build a new garden bed.
He also give me the gift of a “Yes!” when I suggested we treat ourselves to ice cream after the hardware store. That’s a pretty rare treat for him, as he’s diabetic and only occasionally indulges. We tracked down a new-to-us ice cream place and sat outside enjoying the families coming and going and the kids racing to keep up with their melting cones. It was a warm day here, in the 80s, and the shop was hopping.
Thank you for the question that reminds me to think of the good things in my life as gifts.
deeply grateful for many gifts, of which one important gift was of having hd the chance to visit my father and share some precious time with him who now is in an elderly home since 11 months and feels reasonably well; the gift of having had the chance to meeting dear friends close to my heart; the gift of having been helped to understand core elements and source of recurrent misunderstandings/ inabilities to behave adequate to given situations. And i almost forgot the very kind replies of someone dear to me who during myself being ill reassured me that all was ok with the themes i was doubtful and desperate in a way, which helped a lot to calm down. It was a precious gift in a vulnerable moment. In times of such emotional turmoil and confusion, it was of huge support. Deeply grateful for it all. Thank you dearly to the ones concerned. May you all experience beautiful Whitsun days.
I’m so glad, dear Ose, that you had this friend to hear you and comfort you in a time of need.
My dad, step-mom, and brother gave us the gift of travelling out to visit us. With my husband’s health needs, we are no longer able to travel, so this is such a gift to give us the chance to all be together in person. My husband has been gifting me his listening ear, his affection, his sense of humor that sprinkles unexpected surprises throughout the day. I have received gifts of wisdom from all of you in this discussion group and gifts of daily thought-provoking, empowering questions from Grateful Living.
You offer us a lot of wisdom as well, Elizabeth!
And how nice that your family came to visit. I know that felt good for you & your husband.
Aww, thank you for your kind words, Sunnypatti!
How wonderful that your family members valued spending time with your husband and yourself
and travelled to make that happen. I’m so pleased to hear that!
Thank you, Mary!
I have been gifted with phone calls from folks who have not been consistently in my life.
I have attended several sessions of a caregiver support group. The ideas of self care and acceptance have been treasured gifts
I was brought over homemade chili yesterday that my son’s gf had made. He also put in the get well bag some Luxardo cherries too which I haven’t had in a long while – soooo good and 10x better than maraschino ones.
Wishing everyone a peaceful relaxing Sunday.
Food gifts are so nice, especially when you’re not feeling well. Hope you’re on the mend!
You just gave me the gift of learning about Luxardo cherries–thank you! I’m going to look for them to give as a gift to a couple of loved ones in my life who like making fancy cocktails.
I have received the gift of resiliency from god. It’s helped me receive care on all fronts and adapt to the traditional Asian value system to be closer to the people from my roots. It’s why I’ve been doing so well these weeks with Ngoc in Vietnam. Only 16 days left. Faith pays off.
I’m so glad you are doing well, dear Loc.
The gifts of patience, hope, kindness and love from those near and dear to my heart.