Grat.i.tude ( a noun) The quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness A feeling of appreciation and thankfulness for blessings or benefits we have received To recognize that the sources of goodness are outside of ourselves. An emotion expressing appreciation for what one has Dear Children and Grandchildren, It […]
Expectations and Relationships
July 2, 2016 by 2 Comments
“What are expectations but premeditated disappointments?” Rod Stryker Let’s go back to expectations, shall we? Is it impossible to live without expectation? If we are really living the in present moment…does that mean we have left expectations behind? It’s a puzzle to me. Frequently I obsess about this since a conversation with my son almost […]
The Lucky One
December 31, 2015 by 4 Comments
There can be a philosophical difference in how we view our lives and our fortunes. Some see themselves as self-made. I firmly believe that I owe a debt of gratitude for my fortunate birth. And how I acknowledge that debt matters to me. Of course, in order to be where I am today, I have […]
Measuring Up
August 25, 2015 by 6 Comments
I love a purpose. I want to feel as if what I do makes a difference. That said…sometimes it’s difficult not to be intimidated by the accomplishments of others. I forget that smiling at someone on the street may be the most important thing I do in a day. Or fixing a healthy meal for […]
The Heart of a Soldier
May 24, 2015 by Leave a Comment
To Every Soldier, Because my life has not included personal experience with war, I can’t pretend to comprehend the effects. Still, I am grateful. My gratitude perches precariously upon a constant ache for the men and women who have done battle and whose deepest wounds may not be visible to the world. The physical losses, […]
Gratitude and Joy
April 27, 2015 by 8 Comments
Maybe gratitude has nothing to do with joy. Meredith Grey But I think it does. My son and I were discussing joy yesterday. How do we put joy in our life? How do we identify what gives us joy? One way, I think, is by presence in a moment of our lives and having gratitude […]
More on Expectations
January 28, 2015 by 2 Comments
Is it impossible to live without expectation? Or if we are really living in the present moment…does it leave expectations behind? Personally, when I think I am living without expectations, it is because my dreams and plans for life are so much a part of me that I don’t recognize them as such. The things […]
Expectations – Acceptance – Gratitude
January 22, 2015 by 4 Comments
“What are expectations but premeditated disappointments (resentments)?” (Attributed to many) If you have ever written you will understand the state of my mind when I tried to post on my blog in the last weeks. I have not been devoid of ideas. It’s that I have an idea that I want to write about and […]
On the Day You Were Born
August 4, 2014 by 4 Comments
On the day you were born the round planet Earth turned toward your morning sky, whirling past darkness, spanning the night into light. On the Day you Were Born, Debra Frasier I can almost transport myself to that day…the anticipation, the pain, the joy, and the instant alarm that never completely obliterated the joy. In […]
A Pathway to Joy
March 1, 2014 by 10 Comments
One of my most rewarding friendships is with a woman who I seldom see. A phone call between us is rare. Once in awhile a Facebook “Like” or Post notifies the other that one of us is thinking of the other. Still, we are connected. I met her about eleven years ago on a trip […]
