Another Day of THANKS

As some of you may recall, this year I decided to create and consistently fill my "Gratitude Jar." I decided to take on this endavor as a way to keep things in perspective when I feel that life around me is crumbling.

2015 dealt me some unexpected blows, and with them came a few bouts of depression. In spite of what I no longer had, I often found myself forgetting all that I still had. Desperately hanging on to things so tightly that my "emotional knuckles" turned white. Letting go is such a difficult thing do to, yet so many times, letting go is what we MUST do in order to free our hands for what God wants to place IN them.

So...I knew I needed a change and decided that the "Gratitude Jar" would send me in the right direction.

We are only ten days into the new year and I must say, placing slips of paper into my jar each day has already made a difference. Throughout the day I find myself saying, "Hmmm...THAT's what I'll add to the jar this evening." Then, as the day progresses, something else will happen or come to my mind and I then find myself with something different to add to the jar.

At this point I have only added one thing per day, but I have a feeling that I may soon take the limits off and add as many as come to mind in any given day.

As large as my current jar is, I'm beginnning to think that maybe I should've gone even BIGGER. Now THAT's a BLESSING!

One suggestion that I loved from the article on how to create a "Gratitude Jar" was the one that said to use colored paper for the different categories of gratitude. By doing this, I can great an amazing VISUAL representation of the good things in my life without even reading any of the little notes.

Here is my color key:

Purple = People
Green = Opportunities
Blue = Experiences
Pink - Things

As you can see, I've had a little bit of everything to be thankful for over these past ten days.

I look forward to filling up my jar with a sea of colorful notes, and reading them all one by one at the end of the year.

It's amazing how something so small can make such a BIG difference.

Now it's YOUR turn. Let the DIALOGUE begin: Have you made a Gratitude Jar for this year? If so, I would LOVE to see it. Please share pics.

Talk to me (and show me those jars)!

Til next time...

Slip and Fall

Ok. So a couple days ago a good friend clowned me because my feet were raggedy. Yeah, it's been two months since I last had a pedicure, but my days are jam packed and I just haven't had time.

The funny part though is that I couldn't even be mad at him because he was 100% right. My toes were JACKED! Normally, even in the winter months when it's too cold for my standard flip-flops and sandals, I still keep my feet lookin' cute. But like I said, there just hasn't been any time, so...I let the toes go.

That was...until today.

I finally decided to go in and get them done.

So I get all squared away and because I went in with close-toed shoes, I needed to leave with a pair of the temporary flip-flops that the shops provide. Cool.

I drive home, park, get out and head to my front door which is about a 60 second walk on a DRY day, and about a 3 minute walk on a RAINY day like today with those nail shop shoes on.

I get from my car to the gate without any problem. Ohhh, but once I stepped through the gate and onto concrete versus the driveway pavement, things changed. I slowed my gait, and about 5 steps later I could feel the shift.

The nail shop shoes have NO tread on the bottom and are NOT meant to be worn on WET concrete. I learned this VERY quickly.

Out went the left leg.

Then went the right.

I was going down Down DOWN.

Now, because I have fallen sooo many times before, I've become a bit of an expert.

Do you know that even though I fell all the way down, into the wet grass, with hands full of stuff...I didn't drop a THING. And I was only down in the grass for about 5 seconds before I scooped myself up and walked the additional 2 minutes to my front door. Oh...and I walked without ANY shoes on! I'll tell you this...THAT GROUND WAS COLD!!!

As I walked, I was thanking God for shoes. Even though I didn't have any on at that moment, I thanked Him because I knew that MY situation was only TEMPORARY. Many folks on this rainy night have NO shoes AT ALL and their feet will be cold ALL NIGHT. God bless 'em!

Now the first thing I should have done when I got inside was soak in the tub and take some ibuprofen. I haven't done either...yet. But I will. The soreness has already set in and I know...I'm gonna feel this in the morning.

Now...Let the DIALOGUE begin: When was the last time YOU got a pedicure?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Perspective

About a week ago I read an article on www.blackdoctor.org titled "Make Your 2016 Gratitude Jar: New Year, New Blessings!" As soon as I read the article I realized that it was just what I needed for 2016.

My niece gave me one last year for Christmas yet I failed miserably at adding to it. I may have added 10 notes and then petered off. No bueno.

So when I saw this particular article, I thought I'd give it another go. One thing that really stood out to me was that the author suggested getting a "Big A _ _ Jar." I loved that! The bigger the jar, the more I will be inspired to fill it up.

So yesterday I headed off to Michael's with a mason jar in mind. When I arrived, I was challenged by a variety of jars to choose from when it came to shape and size. Who knew there'd be so many?

My original inclination was to get a standard mason jar that had a slit in the lid so that I could easily slip in my pieces of paper each day. Didn't find one though. Then I saw some larger ROUND jars and thought maybe I'd go with that. Still didn't seem big enough. I kept looking and found this tall RECTANGULAR shaped jar. For a moment I thought, "That's way too big." Then I remembered the jar's purpose, got it and proceeded to head over to the sticker aisle.

At first I was just going to slap a bunch of "thank you" stickers on the jar. But as I walked the sticker aisle I began to envision just how I wanted my jar to look. I wanted to "make it my own" and something that I would look forward to filling each day.

I found a pack of letters in a pretty shade of aqua and knew right away that I had to have those. As much as I love words, I wanted something pretty to add as well. I looked through the beach stickers (y'all know how much I LOVE the beach) but none of them were what I think of when I think of the beach. They were all of beach chairs, and beach balls, etc. I don't equate any of those things to the beach so I kept looking.

Then I spotted it! A lovely pack of BUTTERFLY stickers. PERFECT!

Lately I have developed a fascination with butterflies. The way that they start as lowly little caterpillars and then morph into something stunningly beautiful. That's where I am right now. In the caterpillar phase of my life, waiting for God to metamorphose me into the butterfly that I am to ultimately become.

So while my youngest daughter came over to visit me yesterday, I decorated my jar as she blasted Erykah Badu's "Mixed Tape." She said I just had to hear it.

"Mother...you're not listening."

"I am listening. I'm just working on this while I listen."

"But you're missing the lyrics."

"I'm catching the lyrics."

Then I tell her, "You do know that none of these songs are 'new', right?" Seemed like every song was sampled.

"Well, the beat might not be new, but these lyrics though..."

So, we continued listening as I continued peeling and sticking. I love hanging out with my kiddos any chance I get.

Ok...I know...I digressed.

Anyhoo...as I was labeling my jar it became clear to me why I chose the one that I did. I needed one with four sides so that I could add three very important words...

*FAITH
**HOPE
***LOVE

And one side for "My Gratitude Jar."

Funny how we don't always understand the WHY of something at beginning of a process, yet somewhere within the process the WHY then becomes clear.

All in all I am very pleased with the way it came out. And as I was adding yesterday's "note of gratitude" I realized something else. My jar won't just be filled with things that are directly related to me. For example -- I had a friend who posted yesterday about a bad accident that could have happened to him if just one small part of his circumstance that day had been different. A part of his car's wheel fell off while he was driving about 30 mph. Had he been on the freeway driving at least twice as fast when the part fell off, his situation would have been terribly worse.

As soon as I read what happened, I thanked God and realized that my friend's safety was what I was thankful for that day.

I am also realizing that some days will have more than one note of gratitude. That's pretty FANTASTIC.

So yeah. Even with the losses that have taken place in my life lately, I am well aware that I have much much more to fill the void of what (and who) I no longer have. My gratitude jar will keep me mindful of that as the year progresses, and in the words of William DeVaughn, I will just be thankful for what I've got.

Ok...enough about me. How 'bout you?

Let the DIALOGUE begin: Do you have any visual reminders to help you focus on the positive during times of adversity?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Little Things

Tonight I had yet another very bittersweet visit with my Mom.

Bitter because it greatly pains me to see her in the condition that she is in.

Sweet because I saw her smile and watched her eyes light up. There isn't enough money in the world that can equate to the joy that came from that moment.

As I sat by her bedside this evening, she cried. Cried over things that aren't real. Cried over things that are. And she wouldn't eat, nor drink. She just wanted to "be". I tried my best to honor her requests, yet at the same time, I know that she needs to eat. And with perfect timing, in walked the dietitian. He also knows how important it is for her to eat so he started asking about things that she might like to have. Everything was a no until he mentioned ice cream. She perked up and said, "Yes. I would like sherbert." I told him that she loves rainbow and he told us that he'd be right back. Really? They've got sherbert?

Moments later, Louie walked in with a small bowl full of rainbow sherbert. My mom was like a kid on Christmas morning.

I asked if she wanted me to help her. She said, "No. I can do it."

As weak and fragile as she is, she still insists on doing as much as she can, by herself. She says she doesn't want to bother anybody. That always makes me a bit teary. In her condition we should all be doing as much as we can to help her. She's not a bother in the least. She is my mother.

I sat by her bed and watched her savor each bite. At times she would veer off into conversation and when I could see her getting sad I would remind her, "Keep eating your sherbert before it melts." In that instant the sadness would disappear and she would return to her "joy in a bowl."

The time came for me to leave, I told her that I love her and headed back to my car...determined not to cry. If I had let ONE tear fall I'm not sure that I would've been able to stop the rest.

One thing I did do though was thank God for yet another one of those "little things" that mean so very much. A bowl of rainbow sherbert will never be the same for me. From this day forward, it will always taste sweeter, and I will savor each spoonful just as my beautifully brave mother savored hers.

I may have made it to my car without shedding a tear, but I didn't make it through this post.

Let the Dialogue begin: What "little thing" are YOU thankful for today?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

You've Got Mail!

I was sooo excited about today's post, I could hardly wait to get home and write it.

Four days ago I began reading a wonderful book titled, A Simple Act of Gratitude by John Kralik, and I am LOVING it!

I wasn't sure exactly what my approach to the book was gonna be. Wasn't sure if I would finish reading it FIRST, then act on it, or if I would act on it as I read. Well, I chose the latter. I had to.

In case you're interested in reading the book for yourself, I won't tell you all of what it's about, however, I will say that just based on what I have read thus far, I have already placed my first THANK YOU note in the mail. And there will be many more to follow...364 more to be exact. Oh, and they will ALL be HANDWRITTEN. So if you get one and can't read the writing...just ask...I'll decipher it for ya.

With so much to be thankful for, and so many to be thankful for, it just makes sense in my mind to send THANK YOU notes. And that, coupled with the fact that I love the old fashioned, "lost art" of actually mailing letters...THIS is right up my alley. As I read the book I often question myself and wonder, "Why didn't I think of this before?"

Oh well...better late than never, right?

So anyhoo...one down, 364 more to go and as I said earlier...I AM EXCITED!

Let the DIALOGUE begin: Do YOU send THANK YOU notes? If so, do they usually follow an event, like a birthday, wedding, Christmas...or do you send them at random.

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Workin' 9 to 5 and LOVING it!!!

So I started my new job on Monday...YAY!!! It's been fantastic. I am so happy. Happy with the company. Happy with the people. Happy with the position. Happy with the product. Happy with the location. Just HAPPY. So let me give you a run down of my wonderful work week: I got there Monday morning and had training with two other new hires. They are both great! So we're going through orientation, everything is good and right about noon, MY GLASSES BREAK. Whoa! Right in half, they break. I tried wearing them anyway but because they weren't aligned properly I started getting a headache. So then I had the bright idea to super-glue them. Well...that didn't go so well. As soon as I put the glasses back on, the fumes from the glue made my eyes water terribly. What was I gonna do? Get this...the kind gentleman who was in new hire training with me offered to drive me home to get another pair. Can you believe that?!? He had only known me for a few hours and there he was offering to help me. I took him up on the offer because I had to have some way of being able to see. Without my glass, I see NOTHING! So he drives me home and thankfully I knew exactly where I kept the old pair. Can't tell you how many times I had almost donated them. I was so glad that I kept them. So we get the glasses and head back to work. The rest of the week was great. Now we fast forward to Friday. Going back to my glasses... Although the old pair allowed me to see, they were bent out of shape and didn't fit properly on my face. So all week I was awkwardly tilting my head to align my face with my glasses. Embarrassing, but hey...I could see and that was all that mattered. When I got to work Friday morning I greeted the security guards (by name) as I do every morning. One of them congratulated me on completing my first week. I thanked him and told him how it was a great week even though my glasses broke on Monday and I had been wearing crooked ones all week. He immediately told me to take my glasses off. What?!? So I did. He took them and started bending and pushing and I just stood there in awe thinking, "Oh no...what if those break too. They're my only pair." No sooner that I finished having my panicked thoughts, he gives them back and says, "There...put them on now." WOW!!! He fixed them! They were perfectly straight. I would've hugged him but that probably wasn't "workplace appropriate", so I just thanked him greatly and told him that he was my hero for the day. I was so happy. So that was my first work week, and a glimpse of the wonderful people I work with. I really really like my new job and I thank God for it EVERYDAY! Let the DIALOGUE begin: What's the craziest thing that ever happened to you on YOUR first week of work? Talk to me! Til next time...

Surprise!!!

I'll give you three tries to guess what we're talkin' about today...

Chocolate???
No

A new car??
No

Bunny Rabbits???
No

Give up? Good tries, but I'll go ahead and spill it.
Today, we're talking about Thanksgiving and Giving Thanks.

For most people, it's all about food and isn't much of a spiritual day.
For me, it's just the opposite...a day for spiritual reflection, and then we eat.

So I went to church today for our Thanksgiving Service and I gotta tell ya...there weren't a whole lot of people there. Maybe 30, tops. I remember the times when the church would be packed on Thanksgiving. Today...not so much.

But I thank God that I don't need a packed church in order to thank Him for His goodness and all that He means to me. Even if I were the ONLY one in the church today, I would have given Him thanks. He's been just that good to me.

I've been out of work since July 29th yet there is still food on my table, I still have a car to drive (that I'm still making payments on), I still have a roof over my head that is my own, and I am in good health (without medical insurance coverage).

I'm even thankful for this little blog of mine that nobody seems to read. I'm thankful for the four who have "liked" it on the Facebook page...just wondering what's up with the rest of the world & why nobody comments. It's okay though. If I write for the walls then I'm writing for something.

Yes folks...God is GOOD to me. And GOOD is an understatement. I've often said that the word does not exist that accurately describes how I feel about God. There just isn't a word that is sufficient. Thankfully, He knows...so it's all good.

I was close to going to get a free turkey this past Tuesday because one of the local businessmen was giving them out, but I thought about it and realized that I am blessed and can still afford a turkey of my own, so I wasn't about to take a turkey from someone who truly needed one.

All in all, it's been a beautiful day. I've been home alone for most of the day, and that's okay. In years past I would have been so sad to be spending Thanksgiving (or any holiday) alone. But I've done it so much it doesn't even phase me anymore. Sure, I'd like to have spent the day with a "special someone" but that hasn't happened yet. Hey...Christmas is just around the corner. Maybe things will be different then. And if not, like Paul said in Philippians 4:11, "I am not saying this because I am in any need, for I have learned to be content in whatever situation I am in."

Now, Let the DIALOGUE begin! What are YOU thankful for?

Talk to me!

Til next time...

Thanksgiving...today and EVERYDAY

Today is the day that our country celebrates Thanksgiving. Has something to do with Pilgrims, Indians, turkeys and all that stuff.

That's all well and good, but for me Thanksgiving is more than just a day filled with too much food. It's even more than the time that I spend with my family.

Thanksgiving is a state of mind. In my mind, Thanksgiving is every day of the year. Every morning when I wake up, the first words out of my mouth are THANK YOU. Yes, I thank God each and every morning.

I thank him for opening my eyes and being able to see. For those who know me, eyesight is not something that I take for granted. After being threatened with the idea that my eyesight may one day be gone, I am truly thankful for every new day that God allows me to see.

But it doesn't just end there.

I'm thankful for every day that He gets me through at work. My job is mentally and emotionally challenging. If I had to do it alone I wouldn't make it. But because He's with me everyday, I am able to make it...one day at a time.

I'm thankful for Him being my provider when there isn't enough money (and there's never enough money. No, I'm not being greedy, and I'm not trying to have you feel sorry for me...I'm just keepin' it real and there's NEVER enough money).

I'm thankful for my children. All healthy, intelligent, and down right good people.

I'm thankful for relationships restored. I could go on and on about this one. In this area I can only say "Nobody but God". After hating and being hated by a particular individual, I realized that I had to give that person up and over to God. As soon as I did, I received such a sense of peace about that relationship. Didn't know what would come of it and had accepted the fact that it was just "over".

What I didn't realize until a year later was that God was working in that situation all along. And once I stepped out of it and gave it over to Him, He worked things out in a way that only He can.

Today, that person and I can actually speak to one another, be in the same room together, and even laugh together. Neither of us would have ever thought those things to be possible if it were up to us. But because we had nothing to do with it, and God had EVERYTHING to do with it, the impossible became reality.

Interestingly enough, that person invited me to have Thanksgiving with their family. I haven't done that in over 10 years and never dreamt that I'd be there again. I went, and had a great time. I could tell that I was more happy to be there than the person was to have me there, but that's okay. Just being there was more than I ever imagined would be.

So yes, on this day, I could go on and on about all that I'm thankful for. But because Thanksgiving is EVERYDAY for me I don't have to cram my thanks all into one day. I've got 364 more, and that's a good thing.

Let the DIALOGUE begin! What are you MOST thankful for on this day?

Talk to me!

Til next time...