An Attitude Of Gratitude

Just about every year in November, as Thanksgiving approaches, I'm given to begin thinking in a bit more of an appreciative way.  We probably all do this in one form or another.  And as for me, I know I should do it more.  Every day.  It's one of my many important life lessons that I'm still working on and will continue to do so indefinitely.

This year I am particularly grateful for these things:
 1)  We finally managed to leave Seattle.  It was way beyond time and we needed to make the leap.  Seattle is good in many ways.  Being able to choose our own path is even better.
 2)  Major relief from allergies has been such a blessing.  A whole long summer of being allergy free was like a miracle.  And having noticed a more 'normal' seasonal bit of Fall allergies with the leaves finally on the ground- and full of mold and mildew spores- tells me that being born in a place with perpetual mold and mildew, I should have relocated sooner!
 3)  Connections with friends have been imperative to my sanity this year especially.  Move 1200 miles away and you really do find out who you're friends are!  And some new insights into putting a positive spin on just about anything have been a fabulous gift from one particular friend.
 4)  Dogs are just awesome.  They are there for you, give you purpose, love you unconditionally, and are the best form of entertainment around.
 5)  Seeing things with new eyes.  Slowing down and really looking at all the beauty, strangeness, people around me.  I have found so many things right there in front of my face that I know I would have missed had I kept up the rapid pace I had been and continued on in a subconcious way.  Really living conciously takes effort and it's worth it!
 6)  Being open to more change.  Embracing the unknown really does allow for greater possibilities.  I used to think that control over your life was the ultimate freedom.  That always knowing what comes next was the best way to meet goals.  I have truly changed my mind.  I'll always be a 'planner', but I now know the detours are often the best part.
 7)  I am super grateful for anything that makes me feel useful and productive.  Without much work since moving to California, I have needed to reform my idea of what makes me feel worthwhile.  I have a newfound deep appreciation for everything that anyone brings to the table of life.  We all have so much to offer in so many ways and realizing all the different ways that is manifested is awesome!

 Please do hit me up with some of your own favorite 'gratitudes' of the year!

Whatever's Supposed To Be Will Be

I have said that a lot.

I feel like lately I mean it more than ever.

It seems like especially because my husband and I were given an opportunity that we chose to pass up (in Arizona), I am really staring straight in the face the fact that I have to trust that things will all work out.  I know I want to do that.  I know I believe I am capable of doing that. 

I still have issues with trust that linger a bit.  But I'm not going to focus on that.  I will focus on my desire to know in my heart that everything will work out better than I ever could have imagined and have a positive outlook on every day, even when things are frustrating.  Even when I can't know where things are going.

Not knowing is not a place I have ever been comfortable with.

I think I have found a good constructive way to deal with my uneasiness.  I might seem a bit simplistic, but... I have taken to thanking God and the universe for everything that comes my way, even the things that are not instantly positive.  It has been amazing!

It turns out that:

Credit:  http://silverlipsbeauty.com

In the moment, being grateful helps me to get through any anxious feelings.  And as time passes, this process of finding something, anything to be thankful for helps my overall outlook.  In an absolutely huge way.

It feels like even though I don't have any more control than I ever have, I do have control over how I react.

How about you?  Whenever you face times of some sort of uncertainty, what are your tricks of the trade?

Thankful

 ...that my husband will become completely healthy next year, that he's the most patient and loving soul that anyone could ever know, that he's seen fit to spend his life with me, that he is the one person who can calm my fears, make me smile and KNOW that life is getting better all the time.

...that my nephew, Nathan, now spends his days filled with healthy activities and friends like his new Boy Scout troop, that he thinks that being the father/son team to get the most food donations to the food bank is awesome, that he is now feeling safe enough to voice his opinions about visiting his mother, that Nathan spent this Fall fishing and camping with his Dad.

...that we have cars that run pretty much as they should, a house that is well maintained thanks in part to my strong desire to move away from it, that the fences made it through last nights wind storm once again, that I never want for food- in fact have to keep my consumption of it in check, that I can afford to jack my heat up to keep out the cold damp weather and pretend that I am somewhere in the warm sun, that I have had the opportunity to visit many warm sunny places.

...that sometimes I need to experience true craziness through others only to realize that I'm grateful not to actually be that nutty myself, that I am capable of empathy for said people without having to give up my life and myself to prove it.

...that my dogs make me laugh all the time- especially when Parker proves that his nose is still working by stealing a pork chop right off a plate, that they help keep me warm, show me what unconditional love is all about, that Hailey trusts us enough even after her traumatic start in a puppy mill to literally melt in our laps, that the happy dance they do reminds me how exciting it really is that my husband and I actually do make it home every day.

...that we will have 6 adults, 5 kids, and 5 dogs here to enjoy the chaos and love that will be Thanksgiving at our house this year, that my friend is able to face her future without her husband with strength and grace and that they have chosen to spend one of his last holidays with us.

...that I never stop being amazed at what every new day brings, that life is an ever changing and wonderful adventure in this stunning and wild place that we call AMERICA!

11-11-11/ Veterans Day

                                                
World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.” 

The Uniform Holiday Bill (Public Law 90-363 (82 Stat. 250)) was signed on June 28, 1968, and was intended to ensure three-day weekends for Federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. It was thought that these extended weekends would encourage travel, recreational and cultural activities and stimulate greater industrial and commercial production. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holidays on their original dates.

The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on October 25, 1971. It was quite apparent that the commemoration of this day was a matter of historic and patriotic significance to a great number of our citizens, and so on September 20th, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 (89 Stat. 479), which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. This action supported the desires of the overwhelming majority of state legislatures, all major veterans service organizations and the American people.  -from the Department Of Veterans Affairs official website.

Isn't it cool that this day of the triple 11 is our Veterans Day this year? 

Somehow it just feels right in our busy world to stop and give thanks and think of those who have given so much...and to do it without a 3 day weekend to play and sort of forget the true meaning behind the reflection.