I took myself to an early morning workout class yesterday, so I’m here this morning with my gratitude…
I’m usually pretty up front with letting people know how grateful I am for them. I spent a few hours with my good friend, Ericka, yesterday. We had a nice lunch at a spot neither of us have been to since moving here, and then we walked over to this really cute local gift shop and perused around for a while. I really enjoy our friendship and let her know that. We are so different but at the same time have so much in common. It’s not easy to make friends when you’re an adult, especially one who is not working a 40hr job, so I’m extremely grateful for Ericka coming into my life.
My husband
tried to give me a special day today,
but I could see that he was feeling helpless.
This morning I accompanied him
to a long doctor’s appointment,
and read ‘People’ magazine while I waited,
as I’d forgotten the book I had intended to bring.
The magazine did nothing for me,
because I know next to nothing,
actually,
maybe nothing
about the celebrities they write about.
As I was opening another installment of the magazine,
I was relieved to see him finally come out,
and with a good report as well.
We had intended to have brunch at our local diner,
but since it was so late,
the place was packed with lunch goers
when we arrived.
In a way,
I was secretly grateful
because people all over the country
had been asked to boycott businesses,
schools, post offices, stores, and restaurants
in protest of the killings in Minneapolis . . .
we came home and made a perfectly good breakfast together,
and didn’t go out again.
Several times
he asked if there was something I might want to do,
but I was content to be at home with him and the cats . . .
as suppertime rolled around,
he realized there was nothing exciting in the freezer
after taking a browse through the bags and packages,
so there would be nothing ‘special’ for supper.
So be it.
We have plenty to eat . . .
more than most,
so that is special in its own way.
He deserves more than a big ‘thank you’,
as he is not talented in creating ‘special days’,
and is not a big showman . . .
definitely not the flowers and diamonds and chocolates
sort of a guy
(thank goodness,
although I do like flowers),
but he has poured so much of himself into our life together,
and has been my backbone and support all these years
that I feel I cannot thank him enough.
Just being alive with him today
was enough for me.
I love him with all of my heart
and know that I can live my life with him
as a better ‘thank you’ than I have.
Thank you to my love, Lynn, who has been a pillar of love and support since the beginning. Through triumph and tragedy, from the most wonderful to absolutely worst times, thank you. I could not have asked for a stronger support system, a greater love, a more enjoyable partner, a more devoted companion.
I could thank three people at my Mom’s assisted living facility for giving my Mom such good care. I could write a letter for each of them to give to the director of the facility.
I’m generally good at showing appreciation in the moment, whether that’s in person or in an email. I have an overdue thank-you that I’ll need to take care of over the next few weeks and this is a good reminder.
That thank-you has been waiting for me to do some canning, because it will take the form of a box of jams, jellies and chutneys for my family members who organized and participated in our big trip to England in the fall. I’ve been saving up citrus to make a batch of citrus ginger marmalade and my freezer has a big bag of orange and lemon accumulated over time. Almost there!
I’ll also give some jam to the neighbor’s daughter. She’s a gardener and sent a spreadsheet of all the seeds she has on hand in case I wanted any. Wonderful list! So organized by type of plant and then with links to the descriptions on the seed sites. Like me, she gets heirloom varieties and the names are such a delight: Yedikule, Skyphos, Milagro, Truchas, Valmaine (all lettuces) and Sart Roloise, Inca Jewels, and Orange Brandywine (tomatoes), to name a few. I sent her my list last night and said I hoped it wasn’t too many. She was delighted because she gets carried away buying seeds and wants them to be planted.
The world is full of generosity when we look for it. So much to be thankful for.
Barb, it’s one area we certainly have in common. In the west, we were taught to be more upfront with our thank-yous from a young age. Easterners were taught to read between the lines and that action alone is enough to express love and grattitude. Our way is still brand new to many of them. My response to your comment for me from my post was rooted in my love and compassion for Ngoc when I ellaborated on America where I was raised, my family background being a mixture of both worlds with the eastern foundation, and the east where Ngoc was born and raised.
Not to get offtopic, just responding to your charms from men, I can also tell that it came from first-hand experience too. I remember the occasional posts emphasizing your toxic experiences with your ex-husband. It’s unfortunate that you had to go through something like that for such a kind enthusiastic woman. But anyways, we both grew and became stronger from our experiences. A shared slogan we have is “Out with the old, and in with the new.”
I don’t necessarily have a thank you that is overdue, but I do have some reaching out and expressing gratitude to a few people.
Thank you for this reminder. I will have some time today, so, I will make a list.
I would like thank all of you that participate and share here. Your wisdom and life experiences are nourishment to me. 🙏
And thank you to the good people here at Grateful Living, for providing this community space. 🙏
Charlie, I’m with you on having already finished my thank-yous based on my posts about some strong close female friends who have shown the way. Expanding upon some of my exchanges with Barb, the tide is turning. Now, in hindsight, it’s actually the females who ended up coming through for me from my college coincidentally. 2 is still a luxury, especially for those with autism who struggle with the social aspects of life. It’s complicated at the adelescent and college years and more so when going to an art school.
Thank you to all the electrical workers who helped to restore my neighborhood’s power yesterday. They had 3 trucks on the street. They worked in the frigid temperatures to aid us.
I thank Drea for her response to me yesterday. Although, I’m still warming up to the idea of a woman who’s known to speak her mind and just gets straight to the point. Most of the ones I’ve encountered were known to use “The Best Friend” charm. This type of charmsters speak in ways that are soothing but will use us for their personal gain. There’s a good chance that women in the real world are different from the ones in the art school. And beside, artists are known to be quite sensitive, maybe too sensitive. They have to be more sensitive to make good art or protect their reputation in order to get more gig leads.
Beside my mom, some of the figures I know in my life like: Donita, Paw Mu, of course, Eevah, a middle school best friend, and Brenda, a receptionist at the LA Fitness I go to for swimming are all women who just tell it the way they see it. As I’ve outgrown my old ways, I’ve come to develop a positive impression of strong women. They give me a sense of protection. As a beta male, I need that in my life. Ngoc is one of them. She may have a pleasing nature, but I’ve noticed her continuing to outgrow that. Recently, she’s done an excellent job with just speaking her mind and not being afraid to ruffle feathers if need be. Another friend beside Donita I met from McNally Smith College of Music who’s outgrowing her old ways is Angela.
Angela used to be very naive. It’s why she used to be so pleasing. Naive, innocent, and pleasing fall under the same roof. Innocent is what we want, but naive gets us into trouble. I’ve caught the vibe that even Angela’s speaking her mind more. She and I are the same people. The naive nature will always be there. It’s what makes us likeable. Angela’s an easy one to help since we’re the same people. I just need to continue to be a big brother on my end setting a positive example and continuing to inform her of the different backstage political charms that goes on as I do with my people. She’ll fall in line.
With all that being said yesterday, I’d like to thank Drea for her response from yesterday. It also helped when Eevah responded to my compositions too with one being “Follow the Golden Rule” throwing shade at many older adults who are set in their ways and an emotional one called “Dear Jesus Christ” thanking god for what he’s meant in my life. Eevah gave me some red heart emojies.
I’ll add a thank-you to Drea for highlighting the gender assumptions. I can speak only for myself, but I’ve definitely encountered your description of “charmsters who speak in ways that are soothing but will use us for their personal gain” in men. If you read advice columns at all, which I do for entertainment, that’s a common theme. I’m glad you took value from her perspective and reflected a bit more.
I can’t tell from the end of your comment whether you or Eevah think older adults are all set in their ways. As an older adult I have to say this is another generalization about an entire group of people based on just one thing they have in common around age. We’re all unique individuals.
Barb, I was highlighting the cultural differences between where I come from and the US. The traditional Vietnamese adults who are more set in their ways like with many collective cultures, especially Asian ones, is commonplace. They strongly value social order. Much of that can be rooted in confusionism too. Hierarchy is emphasized. Right or wrong, they’ll always have the upperhand making it harder for us to speak our minds. If we challenge them even in a measured way, we can come off as being dishonorable. I’m fortunate to have an accepting family who’s willing to accept new ideas, but the traditional Asian foundation is still there. I’ve grown up with a western foundation where everyone plays on the same playing field which suits my personality. I can challenge you, and you can challenge me. The next minute, we can ask each other what the other one wants for lunch and if we want some candy to go along with. Ok, that last part was a joke. I better develop healthy eating habits which I’m doing well of at a young age to take care of my type 2 diabetes.
I want to thank everyone who participates here for continuing to open my mind and heart. And thank you to the Grateful.org team for keeping this site up and running, giving us our daily reflections (like daily bread, ha), and all of the effort you pour into this work.
A dear co-worker told me late yesterday afternoon he’s been transferred. He’ll receive a Big thank you from me. It’s been a wonderful 2 years working with him. May this weekend be restful for all ☮️💕
I owe a huge thank you to my therapist. I started going because I wasn’t meeting the emotional needs of someone I loved and thanks to her I have learned so much about love, self trust, grace for myself and others and self trust. I learned I can’t give from an empty cup. She actually brought me to this site as a writing prompt for journaling which eventually led to my participation.
It sounds,
dear Deann,
like you had a wonderfully supportive therapist . . .
not everyone is so fortunate.
You are blessed,
and I am grateful for your healing. ♥
I’d love to thank all my ESL and college teachers for their enthusiasm that doesn’t fade in daily classes, and for the years they’ve spent on their teaching journey. People come here for many opportunities; as for me, it’s education. Happy Friday, everyone! 🌸
This past weekend, my sister planned and hosted a wonderful weekend for my sisters and 7 of my nieces. An early Valentine card and and note of deep appreciation for all her efforts will go in the mail today. ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
That sounds wonderful! I have occasional “sister weekends” with my younger sister and my sister-in-law. We pick a town we’d like to explore and book a place to stay. They’re wonderful and it’s been far too long since we had one thanks to various life events. The idea of including nieces sounds delightful since their nieces are my daughters. Maybe someday; one of my daughters is moving to Argentina in a few weeks. Now, time to get back on our email thread about scheduling one for the 3 of us.
My husband and I walked down to our local bakery last night. I didn’t buy an almond croissant for my morning and I should have! They’re closed today for the general strike. I support them in that statement; just wishing I’d planned better. If only I’d known it was National Croissant Day today! I love that you share these–thank you!
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I took myself to an early morning workout class yesterday, so I’m here this morning with my gratitude…
I’m usually pretty up front with letting people know how grateful I am for them. I spent a few hours with my good friend, Ericka, yesterday. We had a nice lunch at a spot neither of us have been to since moving here, and then we walked over to this really cute local gift shop and perused around for a while. I really enjoy our friendship and let her know that. We are so different but at the same time have so much in common. It’s not easy to make friends when you’re an adult, especially one who is not working a 40hr job, so I’m extremely grateful for Ericka coming into my life.
My husband
tried to give me a special day today,
but I could see that he was feeling helpless.
This morning I accompanied him
to a long doctor’s appointment,
and read ‘People’ magazine while I waited,
as I’d forgotten the book I had intended to bring.
The magazine did nothing for me,
because I know next to nothing,
actually,
maybe nothing
about the celebrities they write about.
As I was opening another installment of the magazine,
I was relieved to see him finally come out,
and with a good report as well.
We had intended to have brunch at our local diner,
but since it was so late,
the place was packed with lunch goers
when we arrived.
In a way,
I was secretly grateful
because people all over the country
had been asked to boycott businesses,
schools, post offices, stores, and restaurants
in protest of the killings in Minneapolis . . .
we came home and made a perfectly good breakfast together,
and didn’t go out again.
Several times
he asked if there was something I might want to do,
but I was content to be at home with him and the cats . . .
as suppertime rolled around,
he realized there was nothing exciting in the freezer
after taking a browse through the bags and packages,
so there would be nothing ‘special’ for supper.
So be it.
We have plenty to eat . . .
more than most,
so that is special in its own way.
He deserves more than a big ‘thank you’,
as he is not talented in creating ‘special days’,
and is not a big showman . . .
definitely not the flowers and diamonds and chocolates
sort of a guy
(thank goodness,
although I do like flowers),
but he has poured so much of himself into our life together,
and has been my backbone and support all these years
that I feel I cannot thank him enough.
Just being alive with him today
was enough for me.
I love him with all of my heart
and know that I can live my life with him
as a better ‘thank you’ than I have.
I am grateful for this reminder.♥
❤️ It is good you and your husband crossed paths, and decided to walk a path together.
In retrospect,
dear Joseph,
I think so too. 🙂
Thank you to my love, Lynn, who has been a pillar of love and support since the beginning. Through triumph and tragedy, from the most wonderful to absolutely worst times, thank you. I could not have asked for a stronger support system, a greater love, a more enjoyable partner, a more devoted companion.
Thank you, I love you.
I could thank three people at my Mom’s assisted living facility for giving my Mom such good care. I could write a letter for each of them to give to the director of the facility.
I’m generally good at showing appreciation in the moment, whether that’s in person or in an email. I have an overdue thank-you that I’ll need to take care of over the next few weeks and this is a good reminder.
That thank-you has been waiting for me to do some canning, because it will take the form of a box of jams, jellies and chutneys for my family members who organized and participated in our big trip to England in the fall. I’ve been saving up citrus to make a batch of citrus ginger marmalade and my freezer has a big bag of orange and lemon accumulated over time. Almost there!
I’ll also give some jam to the neighbor’s daughter. She’s a gardener and sent a spreadsheet of all the seeds she has on hand in case I wanted any. Wonderful list! So organized by type of plant and then with links to the descriptions on the seed sites. Like me, she gets heirloom varieties and the names are such a delight: Yedikule, Skyphos, Milagro, Truchas, Valmaine (all lettuces) and Sart Roloise, Inca Jewels, and Orange Brandywine (tomatoes), to name a few. I sent her my list last night and said I hoped it wasn’t too many. She was delighted because she gets carried away buying seeds and wants them to be planted.
The world is full of generosity when we look for it. So much to be thankful for.
What color lettuce is Truchas, Barb? Speckled? Trucha in Spanish is trout in English.
It’s a beautiful dark red romaine. A bit spotted although not as much as another variety of lettuce that’s actually named Speckled Trout. https://www.botanicalinterests.com/products/truchas-mini-romaine-lettuce-seeds?srsltid=AfmBOorNXwSFOBLj7ExJybJQY1Y2WqB1t7a-caD6wf546-agKac2m7Hg and https://trueloveseeds.com/products/forellenschluss-speckled-trout-lettuce
dark cherry-red outer leaves and lime-green, crunchy hearts – from doing a search online
Barb, it’s one area we certainly have in common. In the west, we were taught to be more upfront with our thank-yous from a young age. Easterners were taught to read between the lines and that action alone is enough to express love and grattitude. Our way is still brand new to many of them. My response to your comment for me from my post was rooted in my love and compassion for Ngoc when I ellaborated on America where I was raised, my family background being a mixture of both worlds with the eastern foundation, and the east where Ngoc was born and raised.
Not to get offtopic, just responding to your charms from men, I can also tell that it came from first-hand experience too. I remember the occasional posts emphasizing your toxic experiences with your ex-husband. It’s unfortunate that you had to go through something like that for such a kind enthusiastic woman. But anyways, we both grew and became stronger from our experiences. A shared slogan we have is “Out with the old, and in with the new.”
I don’t necessarily have a thank you that is overdue, but I do have some reaching out and expressing gratitude to a few people.
Thank you for this reminder. I will have some time today, so, I will make a list.
I would like thank all of you that participate and share here. Your wisdom and life experiences are nourishment to me. 🙏
And thank you to the good people here at Grateful Living, for providing this community space. 🙏
Charlie, I’m with you on having already finished my thank-yous based on my posts about some strong close female friends who have shown the way. Expanding upon some of my exchanges with Barb, the tide is turning. Now, in hindsight, it’s actually the females who ended up coming through for me from my college coincidentally. 2 is still a luxury, especially for those with autism who struggle with the social aspects of life. It’s complicated at the adelescent and college years and more so when going to an art school.
Thank you to all the electrical workers who helped to restore my neighborhood’s power yesterday. They had 3 trucks on the street. They worked in the frigid temperatures to aid us.
Linemen are a hardy breed, whether they be man or woman. They keep the lights on!
Certainly something to be thankful for,
dear Christina,
especially in the midst
of a deep freeze! ♥
I thank Drea for her response to me yesterday. Although, I’m still warming up to the idea of a woman who’s known to speak her mind and just gets straight to the point. Most of the ones I’ve encountered were known to use “The Best Friend” charm. This type of charmsters speak in ways that are soothing but will use us for their personal gain. There’s a good chance that women in the real world are different from the ones in the art school. And beside, artists are known to be quite sensitive, maybe too sensitive. They have to be more sensitive to make good art or protect their reputation in order to get more gig leads.
Beside my mom, some of the figures I know in my life like: Donita, Paw Mu, of course, Eevah, a middle school best friend, and Brenda, a receptionist at the LA Fitness I go to for swimming are all women who just tell it the way they see it. As I’ve outgrown my old ways, I’ve come to develop a positive impression of strong women. They give me a sense of protection. As a beta male, I need that in my life. Ngoc is one of them. She may have a pleasing nature, but I’ve noticed her continuing to outgrow that. Recently, she’s done an excellent job with just speaking her mind and not being afraid to ruffle feathers if need be. Another friend beside Donita I met from McNally Smith College of Music who’s outgrowing her old ways is Angela.
Angela used to be very naive. It’s why she used to be so pleasing. Naive, innocent, and pleasing fall under the same roof. Innocent is what we want, but naive gets us into trouble. I’ve caught the vibe that even Angela’s speaking her mind more. She and I are the same people. The naive nature will always be there. It’s what makes us likeable. Angela’s an easy one to help since we’re the same people. I just need to continue to be a big brother on my end setting a positive example and continuing to inform her of the different backstage political charms that goes on as I do with my people. She’ll fall in line.
With all that being said yesterday, I’d like to thank Drea for her response from yesterday. It also helped when Eevah responded to my compositions too with one being “Follow the Golden Rule” throwing shade at many older adults who are set in their ways and an emotional one called “Dear Jesus Christ” thanking god for what he’s meant in my life. Eevah gave me some red heart emojies.
I’ll add a thank-you to Drea for highlighting the gender assumptions. I can speak only for myself, but I’ve definitely encountered your description of “charmsters who speak in ways that are soothing but will use us for their personal gain” in men. If you read advice columns at all, which I do for entertainment, that’s a common theme. I’m glad you took value from her perspective and reflected a bit more.
I can’t tell from the end of your comment whether you or Eevah think older adults are all set in their ways. As an older adult I have to say this is another generalization about an entire group of people based on just one thing they have in common around age. We’re all unique individuals.
Thanks for being part of this community.
Barb, I was highlighting the cultural differences between where I come from and the US. The traditional Vietnamese adults who are more set in their ways like with many collective cultures, especially Asian ones, is commonplace. They strongly value social order. Much of that can be rooted in confusionism too. Hierarchy is emphasized. Right or wrong, they’ll always have the upperhand making it harder for us to speak our minds. If we challenge them even in a measured way, we can come off as being dishonorable. I’m fortunate to have an accepting family who’s willing to accept new ideas, but the traditional Asian foundation is still there. I’ve grown up with a western foundation where everyone plays on the same playing field which suits my personality. I can challenge you, and you can challenge me. The next minute, we can ask each other what the other one wants for lunch and if we want some candy to go along with. Ok, that last part was a joke. I better develop healthy eating habits which I’m doing well of at a young age to take care of my type 2 diabetes.
My big thank you would go to all participants, leaders, moderators in support groups that deal with care giving and grief.
I want to thank everyone who participates here for continuing to open my mind and heart. And thank you to the Grateful.org team for keeping this site up and running, giving us our daily reflections (like daily bread, ha), and all of the effort you pour into this work.
Yes, like daily bread! Love that and this community!
Thank you 🥖
A dear co-worker told me late yesterday afternoon he’s been transferred. He’ll receive a Big thank you from me. It’s been a wonderful 2 years working with him. May this weekend be restful for all ☮️💕
Wishing you a restful and restorative weekend as well, Carla.
I owe a huge thank you to my therapist. I started going because I wasn’t meeting the emotional needs of someone I loved and thanks to her I have learned so much about love, self trust, grace for myself and others and self trust. I learned I can’t give from an empty cup. She actually brought me to this site as a writing prompt for journaling which eventually led to my participation.
This is beautiful–so glad you have an excellent therapist.
Thank You
It sounds,
dear Deann,
like you had a wonderfully supportive therapist . . .
not everyone is so fortunate.
You are blessed,
and I am grateful for your healing. ♥
Thank you
I’d love to thank all my ESL and college teachers for their enthusiasm that doesn’t fade in daily classes, and for the years they’ve spent on their teaching journey. People come here for many opportunities; as for me, it’s education. Happy Friday, everyone! 🌸
My Ngoc, I remember Ellen. She was very enthusiastic.
This past weekend, my sister planned and hosted a wonderful weekend for my sisters and 7 of my nieces. An early Valentine card and and note of deep appreciation for all her efforts will go in the mail today. ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
That sounds wonderful! I have occasional “sister weekends” with my younger sister and my sister-in-law. We pick a town we’d like to explore and book a place to stay. They’re wonderful and it’s been far too long since we had one thanks to various life events. The idea of including nieces sounds delightful since their nieces are my daughters. Maybe someday; one of my daughters is moving to Argentina in a few weeks. Now, time to get back on our email thread about scheduling one for the 3 of us.
I’m very good about saying my I love yous and thank yous.
Thank you to all who make this Grateful Community up and running and all who participate on here 🙂
https://nationaltoday.com/national-croissant-day/
https://nationaltoday.com/national-fun-at-work-day/
TGIF!
Thank you,
dear Michele,
for being the vibrant creature that you bring here. ♥
Yes “vibrant”, a word quite appropriate for Michele!
My husband and I walked down to our local bakery last night. I didn’t buy an almond croissant for my morning and I should have! They’re closed today for the general strike. I support them in that statement; just wishing I’d planned better. If only I’d known it was National Croissant Day today! I love that you share these–thank you!
here is the link to bookmark for yourself
https://nationaltoday.com/today/