Reflections

Please log in or Create a Profile to post a comment.

  1. Linda72766
    Linda
    2 weeks ago

    Well, I have finally admitted that I will need knee surgery. I climbed a small hill this weekend and had to scoot back down because my knee wouldn’t hold.
    I am still fairly active but my knee is getting weaker and putting too much stress on my body.
    I have never had a major surgery (I’m 70) so it is a very scary prospect.
    I will call today to schedule. Thank you for your kind thoughts.

    1. Patti
      sunnypatti
      2 weeks ago

      Thinking of you, Linda. And kudos to you for the realization of what your body needs right now. May all be well.

  2. Robin Ann
    Robin Ann
    2 weeks ago

    I walked our family dog down the street and found a new path. I didn’t see a “no trespassing sign” so we continued on the path with little bridges next to the pond on our street. My son is going to look into who may own that piece of property.

    Went to see my Dad today w/my son. He will be 88 in September. I was happy to hear he is getting out more lately and still sharp as can be. 😊

  3. Mary
    Mary
    2 weeks ago

    Last night I went to an Open Mic night at a cafe where many from the art and music community hang out.
    They have an open mic night once a month and I have been wanting to go for a while.
    My husband came with me and it was fun. Yay, I finally made it! I plan to continue attending their open mic nights as a regular.

    1. D
      Drea
      2 weeks ago

      That sounds fun, Mary! I haven’t been to an open mic in years.

    2. Robin Ann
      Robin Ann
      2 weeks ago

      Sounds like fun!

      1. Mary
        Mary
        2 weeks ago

        It was fun. It was mostly people who sing and play guitar. A few on piano too. Several musicians played backup by following along with their own instruments. I was surprised at how good everyone was. My husband enjoyed it too.

  4. Carol Ann Conner
    Carol
    2 weeks ago

    Nothing is coming to mind. I guess I’m so predictable, I’m boring! Sometimes, boring is good.

    1. Joseph
      Joseph McCann
      2 weeks ago

      At a Life Ring meeting someone said their week had been blah. When I shared I said “Blah can be alright” especially since it is always better that the chaos I conducted my life in for so many years.

  5. M
    Michael Conlon
    2 weeks ago

    Everyday I do something for the first time. As a matter of fact, I do everything for the first time. Yes, at an advancing age, I have my rigor, my routines, and yes, I have to work to realize that these are not the same as yesterday, or yesterday, or yesterday. Because yesterday changed who I was into who I am today, and today arrives with new sights and sounds and interactions never before presented in the manner and order in which they arrive. Hey, I just wrote a comment here for the first time! Enjoy the day.

    1. Patti
      sunnypatti
      2 weeks ago

      Hello! Welcome!

    2. Michele
      Michele
      2 weeks ago

      Welcome to this amazing group of people Michael.

    3. Joseph
      Joseph McCann
      2 weeks ago

      Welcome Michael, “new sights and sounds and interactions never presented in the manner and order in which they arrive.” Reminds me of making my mental game plan for the day, knowing I am able to punt and regroup.

    4. Robin Ann
      Robin Ann
      2 weeks ago

      Welcome!

    5. Mary
      Mary
      2 weeks ago

      Welcome Michael. Nice to have you here. ☀️

    6. Carol Ann Conner
      Carol
      2 weeks ago

      Welcome, Michael Conlon.

    7. sparrow51014
      sparrow
      2 weeks ago

      Well said,
      dear Michael . . .
      and welcome to this place. ❣️

    8. Ose
      Ose
      2 weeks ago

      Welcome dear Michael!

  6. sparrow51014
    sparrow
    2 weeks ago

    Of course,
    early in my life
    I did a lot of things for the first time . . .
    learned to ride a bicycle,
    how to swim,
    how to read and sing,
    how to sew a fine seam,
    to make a salad,
    bake a cake,
    ride a horse
    (sort of),
    play the flute and the piano,
    learned Spanish,
    how to get along,
    drive my car on an ice covered lake,
    nurse an infant,
    grow things,
    become flexible mentally and physically . . .
    but as I’ve gotten older and slowed my life down,
    there have been fewer ‘new’ things . . .
    creating my garden beds was something new,
    as I never had land enough to try my hand.
    That is still an ongoing process,
    and things change a little each year,
    as some things spread
    and some things die.
    The beginning of that new thing
    was 13 years ago.

    My husband and I
    built a very nice garden shed . . .
    the bottom half brick and the top half wooden siding,
    in the flavor of our European style house.
    Inside he built a potting table,
    shelves for pots and bags of fertilizer,
    and hooks for hanging tools . . .
    it’s really very beautiful,
    with lace curtains in the windows
    and hanging window baskets for flowers in the summer,
    but that also,
    was not recent . . .
    that was 7 years ago.

    Perhaps my most recent ‘new’ thing
    was late last summer
    when I made a commitment to come here regularly,
    to this forum.
    When the old forum was left behind
    I have stayed with that group,
    but we are slowly withering . . .
    and our mainstays are gone from us.
    That is why I am here . . .
    to nourish spiritually
    and to be nourished spiritually.
    I am grateful for this web site,
    and grateful for you . . .
    all of you.
    You may have saved my life. ♥

    1. Mary
      Mary
      2 weeks ago

      I’m not sure which group you are referring to as the old forum, Sparrow.
      Was it a Daily Question group or a Gratitude Lounge group? 🥰

      1. sparrow51014
        sparrow
        2 weeks ago

        No,
        it wasn’t,
        dear Mary . . .
        the groups you mentioned
        came after the website was re-done in 2017. ♥

    2. Joseph
      Joseph McCann
      2 weeks ago

      ❤️

  7. Charlie T
    Charlie T
    2 weeks ago

    Yes, even at my advanced age 😁, there are still new things to do. I do value routine, and fear is still a big part of my operating system, but every now and then I force myself to push through and have a new experience. In the last six years, there’s been quite a few. Most recently, I put a listing on Craigslist, for musicians to play with. Never done that before and I’ve only played with people I already knew, until recently. And again, as soon as I pressed “send”, I wanted to undo undo undo! But I didn’t. I just let it hang out there.
    My therapist and I generically call it “pressing send”. Putting yourself out there. Push through the fear and voila, magic. And lo and behold, I’m playing with a few local, like minded folks, in a genuine garage band. Now, it isn’t the exact situation I was looking for, in fact, they needed a guitar player (not a drummer), but the bass player “had a feeling” and reached out to me anyway.
    So, I figured, at the very least, I would meet some local dudes, and now here I am, singing and playing guitar again after a decade off. One thing that helps is asking myself “what’s the worst thing that can happen?” If the answer is embarrassment, I can deal with that.

    1. Joseph
      Joseph McCann
      2 weeks ago

      Nothing like stumbling, or wiping out here at the place, then making my way upright and looking around in case anyone saw. “embarrassment. I can deal with that.” 😊

    2. Carol Ann Conner
      Carol
      2 weeks ago

      I’m chuckling, Charlie because you are about the same age as my son and I know he too thinks of himself as old. When I pointed out to him that he wasn’t old, I was old, He said, “No Mom, I’m old and your ancient!” We had a good laugh over that. He definitely hasn’t lost he aptitude for orneriness. The think I like the most about your post is your question “what’s the worst thing that can happen?” And your answer, “If the answer is embarrassment, I can deal with that.” That, dear Charlie, is wisdom.

      1. Mary
        Mary
        2 weeks ago

        I agree with Charlie and Carol. Viewing embarrassment as -not such a bad thing- is very wise.

    3. sparrow51014
      sparrow
      2 weeks ago

      That’s great,
      dear Charlie . . .
      I’m so proud of you for pressing send.
      I hope that when my husband retires
      he will do that.
      He is happiest,
      I think,
      playing music. ♥

  8. Barb C
    Barb C
    2 weeks ago

    May 28 when I performed with an improv troupe in public for the first time. It was energizing, fun and funny, and a 90-minute show went by so fast! Friends and family of all of us in the troupe showed up to support us along with a bunch of strangers. We now have a standing gig at this venue for the first Wednesday of every month so the first time won’t be the last time.

    1. D
      Drea
      2 weeks ago

      Congratulations Barb!

    2. Mary
      Mary
      2 weeks ago

      Yay, Barb! That’s great.

    3. Ose
      Ose
      2 weeks ago

      Happy for you and the new adventure! All the best for you and the crew!

    4. Carol Ann Conner
      Carol
      2 weeks ago

      Barb, that sounds like so much fun! Good for you.

    5. Patti
      sunnypatti
      2 weeks ago

      That is so awesome, Barb!

    6. sparrow51014
      sparrow
      2 weeks ago

      That’s great,
      dear Barb!
      Aren’t you glad now
      that you took the leap? ♥

      1. Barb C
        Barb C
        2 weeks ago

        Yes! Made new friends through this too.

  9. Yram
    Yram
    2 weeks ago

    Everytime I pick up my phone, I am doing something new for the first time. Technology changes daily.

  10. Michele
    Michele
    2 weeks ago

    I can’t remember … nothing new comes to mind. This is a nice reminder to look for new things to do/try.
    Happy Father’s Day to all our Dads today 🙂

  11. J
    John
    2 weeks ago

    Yesterday morning, June 14, 2025, my wife and I were taking a planned walk. One of our ongoing jokes with one another when we do or plan something that is an entirely new experience is say to the other: “Our first _ _ _ _ _ with one another together as a married couple.” It always makes us smile, as there have been of course many of those first experiences.
    Yesterday we said: “This is our first protest march together as a married couple” as we walked to the NoKings Protests here in the desert.

    1. Mary
      Mary
      2 weeks ago

      Good for you and your wife, John, for attending a No Kings Protest!
      Maybe if more like minded people would do the same, we could make a difference.

      Love the first time as a married couple thing. That’s funny and so nice!😸
      Keeping it fresh!🥰

    2. Carol Ann Conner
      Carol
      2 weeks ago

      Good for you!

    3. Barb C
      Barb C
      2 weeks ago

      I love this approach of the first whatever as a married couple, John. About three years ago, my husband and I started the practice of doing X number of dates for X number of years that we’ve been married to mark our anniversary. We started the year it was 15 dates for 15 years. This year it will be 18 dates for 18 years. I need to start making the list of possibilities that we work from as we decide what to do each day. I like the idea of layering on “this is the first time we did this as a married couple.” There’s still plenty of first experiences ahead, I hope.

      I’m on a trip back to the town I used to live in for many years. I guess that means yesterday was the first time i’ve been in a protest in my hometown as someone from out of town! Sunny, delightful, full of joy and color as the Pride event merged into the rally in the big downtown park.

  12. Ose
    Ose
    2 weeks ago

    When having taken the next new breath.

    1. Mary
      Mary
      2 weeks ago

      That’s true, Ose!!

  13. Patti
    sunnypatti
    2 weeks ago

    May 25, last month. I taught my first studio yoga class. One of the best days of my life 🙂

    1. D
      Drea
      2 weeks ago

      Congratulations! It seems like you’ve really worked hard for this.

      1. Patti
        sunnypatti
        2 weeks ago

        It has felt like such a slow-paced journey, but I appreciate the time taken to learn as much as I can while picking my own practice back up after getting out of our business. And even though it felt slow, after chatting with some other new teachers who had their teachings in person (mine were online), I’m grateful for the path I chose to earn my 200hr… esp since one girl told me she felt like her program was a crash course.
        Anyhow, the journey continues!

        1. D
          Drea
          2 weeks ago

          I respect your approach! I used to do a lot of yoga classes, and some of them were really rushed. Then I noticed my shoulders getting cranky, and I asked my friend the yoga therapist whether yoga injuries were a thing, and she said she got clients with yoga injuries all the time. All that to say–I really like teachers who have experience, are thoughtful, slow even, and not creating an environment where students feel they need to push themselves. Slow sounds good to me!

    2. Mary
      Mary
      2 weeks ago

      That’s huge, SunnyPatty!
      I know it must have been a beautiful class!

      1. Patti
        sunnypatti
        2 weeks ago

        It was! I got nervous at the start of class, but once we started to flow, all was well. And one of my friends that was in class asked everyone to take a photo with me when we were finished… I will cherish that moment forever!

    3. Ose
      Ose
      2 weeks ago

      That´s great, dear Sunnypatti! Congratulations!

      1. Patti
        sunnypatti
        2 weeks ago

        Thank you so much, Ose!

  14. D
    Drea
    2 weeks ago

    Yesterday I took a new route on my bike, pushed my physical limits in new ways, found new insights in a group discussion, attended a new event, tried a new type of food. Today I similarly plan to expand upon the familiar in new ways.

    1. Mary
      Mary
      2 weeks ago

      Wow, Drea!!
      New thing, on top of new thing, on top of new thing, on top of new thing, on top of new thing, right?
      Whoa!

      1. D
        Drea
        2 weeks ago

        Ha, yeah, it didn’t feel like so many new things until I thought about the question for reflection!

    2. Patti
      sunnypatti
      2 weeks ago

      new routes are the best!

  15. L
    Loc Tran
    2 weeks ago

    Yesterday, I did my first American poem on SVG. Here it is.
    Stan Van Gundy
    His name is Stan.
    He’s a big man.
    That’s the basketball coach.
    There’s the master’s plan.
    He’s the big dream.
    Listen to him scream.
    Win or go home.
    He’s for the team.
    The man is tough.
    His voice is gruff.
    He’s my favorite coach.
    He gives tough love.

    1. Mary
      Mary
      2 weeks ago

      That’s great, Loc!

      1. L
        Loc Tran
        2 weeks ago

        Thanks, Mary.

Subscribe to Grateful Living

Give yourself the gift of free bi-monthly inspiration including uplifting articles, diverse stories, supportive practices, videos, and more, delivered with heart to your inbox.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Customize your subscription