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| This is a photo of a tiny seedling emerging from the earth with its first pair of leaves opening. The quotation written on it says "A good life is when you assume nothing, do more, smile often, dream big, laugh a lot, and realize how blessed you are for what you have.* |
Hello Friends! The weekend is fast slipping away, so it's time to settle in for a bit of reflection and some recounting of my blessings.
This has been one of those weekends where I just wanted to pull the blankets over my head and avoid life altogether. Every now and then something brings me down and I begin to feel so sad about life and the things people I care about are going through. Then, once again, TToT works it's "magic" and in the process of reading and commenting on the posts you've linked up I find myself feeling a bit better, and before long I realize that I am smiling. I know that God is good and my life is blessed beyond measure, but every now and then I need a bit of reminding, and you've done it for me, thank you! My life would be so much less without this wonderful group of caring bloggers! <3
Moving on now with a better attitude and more things for which I'm thankful...
The A-Z Challenge is entering the final week, and I'm happy that I've stuck with it. Visiting has been more active this year than in the past, so maybe it's my serial story, or maybe the change from an A-Z Sign-Up list to daily post sharing via comments on the A-Z blog, but it's been more fun for sure.
I've met some great new-to-me bloggers that I am now following, not only do I like their posts, but I like what I learned about them in their About Me/Profile sections. I'm thinking I need to work on mine a bit, I am not really great at describing myself. Any ghost-writing volunteers out there? :-)
I am loving the longer hours of light in the evenings, even if it comes by way of Daylight Savings Time rather than being allowed to occur naturally. The days are so hot here in West Texas, and evenings are much more amenable time for me to be outside enjoying some fresh air with my husband after he gets off work.
I am happy that my daughter often calls me when she gets home from her nursing shift in the morning, typically fourteen hours after she left for work the evening before. She shares the events of her night with me, and it gives her an opportunity to wind down a bit so she can fall asleep to do it all over again in a few hours. Thankfully, she typically works three shifts a week, which is more than enough as it takes time to recuperate.
I am so thankful that I have the kind of relationship with both my children that they want to share their lives with me! My son and I were having a fun conversation a few nights ago about how he used to get out of bed in the middle of the night to play Atari when it was first new, because he was so determined to reach the next level. I had to start taking his game paddles away at bedtime, and now they are needing to do the same with his girlfriend's son who just got a new game system. :-)
Each month this year we've been trying to set aside a little money for medical expenses, since our budget is so tight, and it came in very handy this month when we received two bills, one for lab work done four months ago that was not covered by insurance, and one for a medical procedure done in 2014 that we were not even aware we owed. It was a relief to be able to quickly pay off both.
I am thankful that I was able to help out a friend who was having some technical issues with a file yesterday. I am by no means a techie, but I was able to Google a solution that worked. It's so nice when we can put our collective brains together and resolve problems.
I was totally surprised to go to Katharine's blog "Teachezwell" this morning to read her TToT post and discover that she had written a post about me. Wow, that was definitely a day brightener, what a kind thing to do! Thank you, Katharine!
I am thankful that my relationship with my younger sister has grown tremendously in the past couple years, this coming from a time when we were not speaking, which was horrible. We have both learned and grown in God's grace and we treat each other with much more kindness and respect for thoughts and feelings than we ever have in the past. Because of that we've been able to share and encourage each other through some hard times this year. At last I can truly say sisters are a blessing!
I see that my husband is putting away the lawnmower so it's time for me to end this and finish preparing our supper. Again, many thank yous to each of you that comes to read, comment and share your thankfuls at Ten Things of Thankful each week, it makes this old lady very happy! :-)
Blessings to you in the coming week. Keep your eye out for reasons to be thankful, and remember to be a blessing to someone else!
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| This is a click-button to the TToT link-up. It is photo of one of our beautiful Texas sunsets with blue still peeking through the clouds; yellow, orange and pink bands around the remaining sliver of bright sun, and a wide band of black earth below it on which I've written Ten Things of Thankful.* |
* Descriptions of the included photos are being provided for those who may be unable to view the illustrations.
Sorry your had one of those weeks. Sometimes we need those times (rain) to appreciate the sunshine. How's that for a little metaphor. The relationships you have with your children are wonderful and inspiring. Your daughter can share her day-to-day with you as a way to decompress; she has very stressful job. I laughed at your son's memory of Atari. Those games can be addictive. And now he can see the situation from the other side. Gotta love that. Saving money in these times is always difficult. Hats off to you for having a little something put aside for when you really need it. I'm enjoying reading your Cottonwood Creek women. I could see it expanding into a novel by adding a few more sentences to each. Have you read Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove series. You would love it. I'll see you in the week, of that I am sure.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Val, the cloudy moments in life make the sunshine feel so good! My attitude was vastly improved by last evening, and today is a better day... on we go! :-) I cherish the relationships I have with my kids, it's the most important thing there is to me. I want them to know I am always there to listen, and to enjoy sharing in their lives. It was funny to hear my son telling the same story about electronic game issues. Even he had to laugh at the irony. We see things much differently when we are in the parenting role!
DeleteI was so thankful we had money set aside we could use to pay those bills. They weren't huge, but it would have made finances this month more of a struggle without the savings to utilize. So far so good! We have done a lot of work on trimming our budget in the past year.
I'm enjoying my mini-series for the A to Z too, though six sentences doesn't give us nearly enough to say very much about each character or situation. I ponder going back to fill in the story more with our weekly SSS, but I don't know yet. Maybe I'll start a new story altogether for that next month! :-) I haven't read that series by Debbie Macomber, but I love her writing style so I'm sure it would be great, I'll have to add it to my reading list. I need two of me, one to get things done and one to read and write! :-) Have a happy final week of the A to Z, I'm headed off to finish up my T story now!
Praying this next week is more encouraging for you.
ReplyDeleteIt will be, Mimi! Last week wasn't entirely bad, there were just some difficult moments and situations to deal with, but I always bounce back and face the next day with renewed hope. Today is a good day, because I intend to make it so! :-)
DeleteI can identify with the kind of day you're referring to (at the top of this post). They are not fun. The thing that I've discovered since coming here, is that there is a direct benefit to me (as a Reader) to hear about the day. This benefit is grounded in my being able to identify with what (a day like that) feels like, have experienced them. By identifying with you I acquire the positive part of the story, of coming out of it. I find when in a state (as we're discussing) the strength of the negative feeling is rooted in it's un-assailable certainty. It (for me) is so powerful because it seems so true (at the time). Whatever it is telling me is bad, that is. The thing about identification is that it allows an additional perspective, which (for me) is the only way to lessen the power of the negative side (of myself). While well-meaning people are likely to say, 'Hey! you should feel better, because (fill in the blank)". It rarely helps, at least at the time. Whereas, knowing that other people who have been in the same place have gone through and come out the other side (the identifying thing) does help.
ReplyDeleteGood 'oT
I think you're right Clark, if all we read about is the good things people are experiencing, we begin to believe that our own life is so much worse than anyone else's and we feel alienated when in reality we all go through times of struggle and days that aren't so fun. The message we can and should share is that if is a bumpy road of ups and downs, but we get through them by taking it one day at a time and encouraging each other along the way. What seems so dark one day is often seen in a totally different light three days later. I am glad you understand the power of identification with others!
DeleteI LOVE your TToT! It feels like we were sitting together and chatting easily, sharing our blessings. I am especially happy for you in your relationship with your kids. How precious that they both share so freely. With the Atari paddles, I thought about that phrase, "What goes around, comes around." :) I wish we'd had the foresight to set aside money for oddball medical bills. We had one that threw us for a loop! I appreciate the heads up about the A-Z challenge. It had escaped me that this is the last week of April. I started late and have 10 letters to go. I read your post about Quinn but I'm not that clever! I'll think of something soon, I hope. Thanks for the link to this blog.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Katharine! I am very much a what you see is what you get person, and when I write I am telling my story as if we were sitting down together. I had to chuckle with visiting with my son for the same reason you note, how life tends to come full circle like that when we become the adults/parents. :-)
DeleteIt isn't easy for us to set aside a little money each month for medical expenses, but this proved to us the wisdom of having that back up plan in lieu of expensive insurance we were unable to afford. Just once I would like to see programs focus on the working class instead of the non-working. I am enjoying your A-Z posts, and I don't think there is any crime in finishing up later, rather than scrambling to get it done. For me, the victory is in the completion, because by this point we are all sometimes wondering why we do this! Each year I've tried a different theme approach. This one has surely been the most challenging, and I'll be glad when I reach Z, but I've enjoyed it too. I always say I won't do it again, and then the next year rolls around and I commit. The fun is in meeting new friends like you! :-)
When I read about your not so good day I was reminded of my recent funk. When I feel that way I am always reminded that Joy comes in the morning. What a blessing to have your kids close to your heart if not in miles. I miss my Ma! Surprised by a bill is never fun but great that you and Papa Bear have been preparing for such surprises.
ReplyDeleteI have not been visiting as many A to Zer's as I have in the past. I haven't been keeping up with peeps I follow either. Not sure why or how I get so behind so often. I have enjoyed the writing of my A to Z posts but think I will be happy to see Z this year.
have a great week of blessings!
You are so right, Patricia, what feels so heavy by nightfall, after prayers and good night's sleep can be put in better perspective in the morning or the next day. Dark times never last, unless we enjoy wallowing in them, which I don't. If there was one thing I wish everyone knew, it is that life cycles and good times come again.
DeleteI miss my own parents greatly, and I wish my children lived so much closer, but at least we are able to keep in touch and visit as often as we want thanks to unlimited Internet and phone time. My mother would have loved that! I am just grateful they want to stay in touch.
The A-Z is very time consuming. It is impossible to visit everyone and write your own post and comment, and respond to comments, and keep up with regular meme's etc. I am doing my best, but also not stressing about where I fall short. We are all in the same boat. Your posts have been great! I too will be happy to reach Z, and return to our regularly scheduled blogging. I need to accomplish a bit more away from the computer too! ;-)
May brighter days surround you soon. I relate completely with the joy you take in having grown children who want to share their lives with you. That adds so much to my days.
ReplyDeleteBy Monday life had righted itself, as it always does, and we move on. I am still learning to "Let Go, Let God" and not stress about things beyond my control! If our children want to include is in their lives it means we must have done something right to foster close relationships. My kids are the joy of my life, and I am so proud of who they have grown up to be. They are a blessing to me!
DeleteI'm sorry to hear you were struggling, but glad that you came through it with the help of TToT. I can only imagine what your daughter's shifts are like - the nurses and support workers at the hospital where I work do 12 hour shifts. I'm grateful that I work 8am-4pm and have time to rest in between.
ReplyDeleteAlan mowed our lawn recently too; it's that time of year! I hope you and your husband can enjoy your garden :)
A off day or two now and then doesn't worry me, Jo, I always come out the other side shortly. All the uplifting TToT posts were great medicine! My daughter's shifts are truly exhausting, and run closer to 13 hours plus travel time, so it wears on her. But she does like having more than two days off a week, so that's the plus side. I love the smell of fresh grown grass, but it does get my allergies going. Worth it though! :-)
DeleteIt is so nice that you have such a good relationship with your grown children. I have that same kind of a blessing. Having overcome the past difficulties with your sister is wonderful. Life is too short to be on no speaking terms with someone, although I understand that in some cases it has to be that way, but it is sad when it is so. Those who are dedicated nurses sacrifice so much of themselves to caring for their patients. I so appreciate them. It is amazing how some medical bill take forever to go through the system. Having savings tucked away awaiting for those emergencies is a big thankful!
ReplyDeleteWhen they grow up our children end up being our best friends, Pat, which is awesome! I am so very thankful for the relationships I have with my sisters now, I think we've all learned to avoid conflict, thankfully! Nursing is a challenging profession, just as teaching is. They end up giving so much of themselves and their time for it, but where would we be without them. Our budget is pretty tight, so it was an extra blessing to be able to pay these bills as soon as we got them, one less thing to stress about. :-)
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