Gratitude

I remember last year seeing a few friends doing daily November posts on Facebook regarding what they were grateful for, but this year, I saw so many friends doing this.  I am not a person who posts regularly on Facebook, but this year, I committed to participating in this November of Gratitude practice, because I found these posts from others to be touching and inspiring.  I am glad that I did.  I now want to post all of these here as a blog post and again share my gratitude.  There is indeed much for which I am grateful.

 

November 1 – I am grateful for those who speak and share their gratitude. I think so often people feel gratitude…but do not voice it. It makes a difference when people notice what is right in the world and voice their appreciation for people and experiences and things.

November 2 – Today I attended a friend’s wedding. I am grateful for the gift of love…in all varieties: in intimate partnerships, in friendships, in families, between strangers, the gift of self-love, and the infinite love that God has for us.

November 3 – I am grateful that my parents moved at the end of last year to a beautiful and comfortable new home. They are enjoying living in their ranch home “in the country,” and I love to spend time with them at the new house. It is just right for them, and I love the new house as much as they love it!

November 4 – I am grateful for my good health. With 2 parents who work in the medical field, I have always been aware of the value of good health – how life has an ease & flow to it when it is present & what a struggle even the “ordinary” is when health problems arise. This past year, with the incidental finding of my pituitary tumor, I have become even more appreciative of good health, as I have not needed medicine or surgery for this & feel well and fully alive. 

November 5 – I am grateful for the gift of music. Music serves as a vehicle for me to communicate with others. Music gives us a means to celebrate, to mourn, to express all that is within us…when words alone are insufficient. Music has inspired me. Music cheers me up & brings me to tears, as it is a platform that allows for deeply feeling the entire spectrum of emotions. Music transforms. Music creates memories. Music leads us to dance and to connect with others. Music adds life to the world.

November 6 – I am grateful for the opportunities I have had to travel. In traveling, I have learned so much – about nature, about history, about people & cultures, about myself. I have been mesmerized by the beauty that exists in our world. I have been exposed to some incredible places and experiences. I have had wonderful and memorable times with family members, friends, and strangers. I’ve had trips that were packed full of adventures and sights, and I’ve had restful trips that refreshed my spirit. I am thankful for the trips I’ve taken near & far and the way they have shaped me.

November 7 – I am grateful for the mistakes I’ve made, because I have learned important and powerful lessons from them…lessons I would not have learned in any other way.

November 8 – I am grateful for friendship and for my friends…for those people who love me, not despite my vulnerability & imperfections, but because of my vulnerability & imperfections. I am thankful for all who have chosen to journey with me, who have come to know me for who I am & shared of yourself with me. We don’t need others to fill us up, heal our wounds, or spend time with us…but life sure is amazing and wonderful when we walk together and support each other, help each other to grow, listen to each other, and let each other know that we care. I thank you, my friends, for our connection and for the power and beauty of that.

November 9 – I am grateful for InterPlay. InterPlay is a practice that helps to unlock the wisdom in our bodies. Through improvised movement, storytelling, and vocalizing, InterPlayers share of ourselves with others & witness others in their fullness. We play – yes, adults NEED play. We thrust, hang, shape, and swing. We stop to notice. We cry together. We do deep work that allows us to be our best selves in the world.

November 10 – I am grateful for my faith and for how it grown, been challenged, and deepened. There are very few constants in this world, but God is a constant in my life. My faith is multi-faceted, and I am always learning and being guided as I continue to hold my heart open to what is beyond our current understanding. I am thankful for those who have supported me in my faith and for those who inspire me by the strength of your faith and your passion for God & for living life in a way that honors God’s power and graces.

November 11 – I am grateful for those who do what they do with passion…for those who stood for what they believed in and served their country with honor, for those who care for the sick with skill and compassion, for those who teach and know the power of their work is in the lives that they touch, for those who care about each task they do – no matter how large or small. We all need each other, and we each are affected by the choices that others make, as they are affected by the choices we make. When we are mindful and passionate about what we do in our workplaces, at school, in our homes, and in the community, we all benefit. Being with others who are passionate about what they do heightens my passion for all that I am doing & makes me feel fully alive, reminding me of how we are all in this together…and that is a privilege and a joy.

November 12 – I am grateful for my parents – Joseph and Jane. As an only child, I’ve always had a close relationship with my parents. My parents have taught me so much – by word and by example. Their love for me is unconditional, and I know that they are always there for me. I am extremely blessed now to live 15 minutes away from my parents, so I see them often, and we continue to share our lives together and support each other. There are no words to adequately express the depth of my gratitude for all that my parents are & all that they have done for me.

November 13 – I am grateful for my extended family. I have a small family, and we do not get together often, but when we do connect, it is always so special and wonderful. I love these people dearly, and I wish we could be together much more often. My memories of times with them, even brief conversations, mean so much to me, and I so often think of these dear family members. I will always hold them close to my heart.

November 14 – I am grateful for my teachers…those who have formally instructed me in school, in lessons, in workshops, etc. as well as those who have informally instructed me through conversation, example, and experiences shared. I believe that we are all teachers for each other in life: we all have much to teach and share and offer & and we all have much to learn from each other if we are open to the learning.

November 15 – I am grateful for my black cat Macy. Macy and I have been together for 11 months. She came into my life after she showed up on Thanksgiving day at our veterinarian’s sister’s house, as they were watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. (That’s how she got her name.) She was starving and had an injured paw. Dr. Kropp did surgery, and Macy had part of her paw removed & a little blue cast put on her leg. She has brought such joy to my life, and I love her dearly. I’ve never had a black kitty before & have never had a real “lap cat” before. She meows for every meal, and she has an amazing personality and heart. She gets around very well despite her minor handicap, and she inspires me daily.

November 16 – I am grateful for social media – grateful that it allows me to connect with family members on a regular basis whom I otherwise might have only seen or talked to once in a great while, grateful that it allows me to keep in touch with classmates and friends whom I otherwise might have lost touch with. I am thankful that Facebook and Twitter make it possible for me to keep updated with what is going on in friends’ lives and accompany friends on their journeys – through excitements, through losses, through the wonderful and crazy everyday moments…and even to see pictures of family events, travels, and much more. I can hear what’s on people’s minds & learn new things about them that might not have come up in an ordinary conversation. Through Facebook and Twitter, I have come to know things that I have in common with various friends, have come to deepen relationships over shared interests and passions, continued friendships with friends across the world, and have come to meet new people.

November 17 – I am grateful for all that reading has brought to my life. I have read to be entertained; I have read to learn; I have read to be moved, inspired, and stretched out of my comfort zone. I am drawn to the psychology and self help section & have read some amazingly powerful and motivational books and articles that have shaped me and transformed me, word by word. Reading makes it possible for me to experience things I would not have ever experienced in my lifetime and allows me to understand others who are different from me…and helps me to better understand myself. I am in a state of flow and at ease when I read. Reading is a privilege and a pleasure. I know that I will continue to be thankful as I continue to read and discover.

November 18 – I am grateful for all of the students whom I have taught. I have come to meet some amazing human beings – in my K-12 teaching, in my university teaching, in my teaching of music lessons, in workshops I have led, and in choirs I have directed. Each one of these students has brought something special to my life, has helped me to understand the world differently, and has taught me as I have taught them. Teaching involves trust and vulnerability, and I appreciate each opportunity I have had to teach others & I appreciate all that I have learned in the process. The learning has been very often fun, sometimes intense, and always worthwhile.

November 19 – I am grateful for the way that writing has touched my life. I remember enjoying writing as a child…but I then came to see writing as ‘just something you had to do for school.’ It wasn’t my favorite type of schoolwork to do, either… My participation in the Northeastern Pennsylvania Writing Project Summer Institute several years ago helped me to again fall in love with writing as a creative way to express myself and a way to process my thoughts and feelings. I love journaling, writing letters, composing poems and free writing, and doing blog posts. Writing has helped me to find my voice and has allowed me to connect with others and enjoy the infinite surprising and real ways that words can combine to make and convey meaning.

November 20 – I am grateful for second chances.

November 21 – I am grateful for smiles and acts of kindness. Those can turn a person’s day around & really make a difference in the world. In our fast-paced world, people can feel so disconnected, and life can feel so fragmented. Each smile, each act of kindness connects us to each other and spreads humanity and positivity.

November 22 – I am grateful for everyone who is supporting my upcoming Holiday Benefit Concert…for those who are going around to area businesses & hanging posters, for those who are spreading the word about my concert to friends and neighbors, for those who will set up at the Community Arts Center for the event, for those who will help out on the day of the concert, for those who will attend and be in the audience that day, for those who are unable to attend but are still supporting the organizations by purchasing a ticket, for those who will join me on stage for a guest performance. I am passionate about making music, and I am passionate about the work of the Tamaqua Blue Raider Foundation & the Tamaqua Community Arts Center. It means so much to me to see the overwhelming support I am receiving as I prepare for this big event, and I am filled with gratitude.

November 24 – I am grateful for hugs and physical contact. As human beings, giving and receiving touch is necessary and supportive of our well-being. Through a hug, we bless another person with our body & spirit, and we convey our care.

November 25 – I am grateful for challenging situations, challenging relationships, and the struggles I’ve faced in my life, because these have led to the most learning and growth.

November 26 – I am grateful that my mother allowed me to be present with my grandmother (Dorothea Teter, whom I called “Mom”) as she died on December 24 when I was 10 years old. I cherish each moment that I had with my grandmother in her good health…and when she was sick and then in a coma. Being with my grandmother and not being shielded from what was going on was a gift, and this experience shaped me to this day, allowing me to see what really matters in life.

November 27 – I am grateful for likes and comments on my posts. I find it so uplifting to know that someone has read my FB post or blog post & acknowledged it. I don’t get to see and/or talk to most of my FB friends on a daily basis, but it is always a delight to see a friend’s name appear via a like or comment. I enjoy reading others’ posts and acknowledging them in this same way.

November 28 – I am thankful for gratitude expressed, gratitude embodied, gratitude shared. I believe that most of us are grateful for a whole lot on a regular basis, but we don’t always express, embody, and share our gratitude – because of the busyness of our everyday lives, because we fear others will see us as too sentimental or “too much,” because we don’t notice what’s going well in the world until it’s not going well, because we are already figuring out how to return the favor, on and on…so many reasons. On this holiday of thanksgiving, during this month of November, and throughout all of our days, we have the opportunity to express, embody, and share our gratitude. I have witnessed so many friends and family members and strangers do that…and I am touched, inspired, and moved by it. Gratitude is not something to keep to ourselves…it’s something to expose, something to give voice to, something to celebrate. I have seen gratitude blossom and multiply, and I am filled with gratitude for the gratitude I’ve witnessed.

November 29 – I am grateful for my resilience and my willingness to learn and grow from each and every life experience.

November 30 – I am grateful for my imagination & my dreams & my desire to always create & to make what exists better. I’m not one to do anything on a small scale, and once I set an intention, I’m not afraid to work hard to actualize what I am envisioning. I’m thankful that I have infinite ideas and desires and dreams and the courage & determination to move in the direction of these.