14. I'm thankful for Smartwool socks. They are just about all I wear. They are clearly worth the investment. I'm also thankful that I am able to find them at greatly reduced prices. They are incredibly comfortable on my chemo-ruined, always cold feet.
15. I'm thankful for weekends away, even though I rarely go far, even if they would be seen as many as mundane. There's nothing quite like a weekend when I don't have any real responsibilities other than making sure I have on pajamas and have good, fun food. This past weekend, that all involved Hello Kitty pajama pants, steak, brie, jambalaya, and lobster bisque.
16. I'm thankful for flat screen tv (did I mention this one before?). They are so much more attractive than the older, big bodied boxy televisions.
17. I'm thankful for Facebook. I have an essay brewing in me, have for years, about how Facebook--with all it's problems and weaknesses--is sort of like the backyard fence of days gone by. I have much better friendships with local friends because of Facebook. And that's just a beginning. Overall, there are more positives to Facebook than negatives in my life.
18. I'm thankful for prescription strength pain relief. I'm not sure if what I've taken to ease the pain of my (possibly) broken toe makes the pain less or makes me just not care enough to notice it fully. It doesn't really matter, it works.
19. I'm thankful for short work weeks. This is perhaps my favorite week of all semester: two days and then Thanksgiving Break. I <3 Wednesday and Friday of this week. No obligations.
20. I'm thankful for our DVR. As I work to understand my "new" brain, I've come to the realization that I can focus much better when I grade essays with mindless tv running. Criminal Minds and NCIS are a perfect backdrop to freshmen compositions. Their formulaic stories can occupy that portion of my brain that keeps me unfocused, that portion that wants to make lists or plan days or listen to what others are doing in the house or focus on worries or balance checkbooks or plan classes when I'm really needing to give essays my full focus. I'm thankful that I can watch whatever, whenever.
Showing posts with label thankful. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thankful. Show all posts
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
November Thanks 2011, week 2
7. I'm thankful for good friends, too many to list. They support me, make me laugh, and help make life fun and exciting.
8. I'm thankful for a dishwasher. Need I say more?
9. I'm thankful for good mentors for my boys.
10. I'm thankful for health insurance. Very, very, very, very thankful for health insurance.
11. I'm thankful for pain relief of various sorts. Anti-inflammatories rock. Steroids suck to have to take, but the four or five days that my elbow doesn't hurt when I take them for a week makes it all worth it. I'm also thankful for one elbow that doesn't hurt all the time because if both always hurt, I don't know what I'd do.
12. I'm thankful for healthcare providers who are personable and efficient. It's wonderful, in an odd sort of way, to be excited about going to the doctor.
13. I'm thankful for my sons' friends. Having young people around helps keep me young.
8. I'm thankful for a dishwasher. Need I say more?
9. I'm thankful for good mentors for my boys.
10. I'm thankful for health insurance. Very, very, very, very thankful for health insurance.
11. I'm thankful for pain relief of various sorts. Anti-inflammatories rock. Steroids suck to have to take, but the four or five days that my elbow doesn't hurt when I take them for a week makes it all worth it. I'm also thankful for one elbow that doesn't hurt all the time because if both always hurt, I don't know what I'd do.
12. I'm thankful for healthcare providers who are personable and efficient. It's wonderful, in an odd sort of way, to be excited about going to the doctor.
13. I'm thankful for my sons' friends. Having young people around helps keep me young.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
November Thanks 2011, week 1
It has now become rather de rigueur on Facebook and elsewhere in the month of November to post one item a day you are thankful for up until Thanksgiving.
I'll be doing that weekly. So, here we go for week 1:
1. I'm thankful for my husband who has supported me through a lot in the 26 years we have been married....burying babies, cancer, job loss, financial emergencies....just to name a few. He also works hard to keep the home fires burning. On top of that, he's a good father and role model for his boys.
2. I'm thankful for the Marvelous Middle boy, who I know feels overlooked quite a bit, but such is the nature of middledom. He's taught me more than he will ever know about unconditional love, acceptance, and passion. He's growing into a strong young many, dedicated and diligent. He has passion, faith, and willingness to do what is right over what is easy makes me proud. He's proven himself as a loyal brother and friend.
3. I'm thankful for the Feral Third. Life would have been too easy if not for him. He keeps me on my toes. His love of beauty and texture amazes me. He's a deep thinker and asks questions that keep me thinking. He is mature and yet also enjoys being young. He pleases many around him and always has fun and unique insights.
4. I'm thankful for The Eldest. I've learned a lot raising him, and now that he's an adult, I enjoy spending time with him. It's been great watching him fully enter the adult world, showing responsibility and maturity. He's always got something to say about everything.
5. I'm thankful for my students. Of course, they keep me employed, but that's just the start of it. They keep me young at heart. They teach me more than I teach them. They make me laugh. They make me smile. They are the high point of my job.
6. I'm thankful for steroids that take away my elbow pain. As horrible as they make me feel....flushed, jittery, insatiably hungry, sleepless, anxious....the fact that they remove the pain makes it all worth it.
I'll be doing that weekly. So, here we go for week 1:
1. I'm thankful for my husband who has supported me through a lot in the 26 years we have been married....burying babies, cancer, job loss, financial emergencies....just to name a few. He also works hard to keep the home fires burning. On top of that, he's a good father and role model for his boys.
2. I'm thankful for the Marvelous Middle boy, who I know feels overlooked quite a bit, but such is the nature of middledom. He's taught me more than he will ever know about unconditional love, acceptance, and passion. He's growing into a strong young many, dedicated and diligent. He has passion, faith, and willingness to do what is right over what is easy makes me proud. He's proven himself as a loyal brother and friend.
3. I'm thankful for the Feral Third. Life would have been too easy if not for him. He keeps me on my toes. His love of beauty and texture amazes me. He's a deep thinker and asks questions that keep me thinking. He is mature and yet also enjoys being young. He pleases many around him and always has fun and unique insights.
4. I'm thankful for The Eldest. I've learned a lot raising him, and now that he's an adult, I enjoy spending time with him. It's been great watching him fully enter the adult world, showing responsibility and maturity. He's always got something to say about everything.
5. I'm thankful for my students. Of course, they keep me employed, but that's just the start of it. They keep me young at heart. They teach me more than I teach them. They make me laugh. They make me smile. They are the high point of my job.
6. I'm thankful for steroids that take away my elbow pain. As horrible as they make me feel....flushed, jittery, insatiably hungry, sleepless, anxious....the fact that they remove the pain makes it all worth it.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Being Thankful
From today's Daily Om:
"Beyond Counting Blessings"
Often when we practice being thankful, we go through the process of counting our blessings, acknowledging the wonderful people, things and places that make up our reality. While it is fine to be grateful for the good fortune we have accumulated, true thankfulness stems from a powerful comprehension of the gift of simply being alive, and when we feel it, we feel it regardless of our circumstances. In this deep state of gratitude, we recognize the purity of the experience of being, in and of itself, and our thankfulness is part and parcel of our awareness that we are one with this great mystery that is life.
It is difficult for most of us to access this level of consciousness as we are very caught up in the ups and downs of our individual experiences in the world. The thing to remember about the world, though, is that it ebbs and flows, expands and contracts, gives and takes, and is by its very nature somewhat unreliable. If we only feel gratitude when it serves our desires, this is not true thankfulness. No one is exempt from the twists and turns of fate, which may, at any time, take the possessions, situations, and people we love away from us. Ironically, it is sometimes this kind of loss that awakens us to a thankfulness that goes deeper than just being grateful when things go our way. Illness and near-miss accidents can also serve as wake-up calls to the deeper realization that we are truly lucky to be alive.
We do not have to wait to be shaken to experience this state of being truly thankful for our lives. Tuning in to our breath and making an effort to be fully present for a set period of time each day can do wonders for our ability to connect with true gratitude. We can also awaken ourselves with the intention to be more aware of the unconditional generosity of the life force that flows through us regardless of our circumstances.
"Beyond Counting Blessings"
Often when we practice being thankful, we go through the process of counting our blessings, acknowledging the wonderful people, things and places that make up our reality. While it is fine to be grateful for the good fortune we have accumulated, true thankfulness stems from a powerful comprehension of the gift of simply being alive, and when we feel it, we feel it regardless of our circumstances. In this deep state of gratitude, we recognize the purity of the experience of being, in and of itself, and our thankfulness is part and parcel of our awareness that we are one with this great mystery that is life.
It is difficult for most of us to access this level of consciousness as we are very caught up in the ups and downs of our individual experiences in the world. The thing to remember about the world, though, is that it ebbs and flows, expands and contracts, gives and takes, and is by its very nature somewhat unreliable. If we only feel gratitude when it serves our desires, this is not true thankfulness. No one is exempt from the twists and turns of fate, which may, at any time, take the possessions, situations, and people we love away from us. Ironically, it is sometimes this kind of loss that awakens us to a thankfulness that goes deeper than just being grateful when things go our way. Illness and near-miss accidents can also serve as wake-up calls to the deeper realization that we are truly lucky to be alive.
We do not have to wait to be shaken to experience this state of being truly thankful for our lives. Tuning in to our breath and making an effort to be fully present for a set period of time each day can do wonders for our ability to connect with true gratitude. We can also awaken ourselves with the intention to be more aware of the unconditional generosity of the life force that flows through us regardless of our circumstances.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)