Stepping Away from the Edge

A Special Treat

We had a lovely Thanksgiving here at my house.

Great food.  Good company.  Lots of stories and laughter.  I love having my family all around for this big celebration of gratitude and thanksgiving. 

It was a special treat to have Erin and her longtime boyfriend, Keith, join us for nearly a whole week!

Erin and I had a chance to do some shopping (a rare treat for a gal working at Rite Aid for her "gap year" . . . between getting her Masters and starting work on her PhD).  We had fun cooking together and talking about books and just hanging out.  Erin enjoyed her Jenny-time (she so misses having a dog in her everyday life.)

It's hard to have your kids grow up and live far away from you.  There's just . . . an empty place.  But.  It's wonderful to see them grow and become themselves and spread their wings . . . starring in their own show.

And, well. . . some things never change!

Thanks for the wonderful visit, Erin!  It was a special treat for all of us.

A Week of Thanksgiving: Thursday

We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.

--Frederick Koenig

Today is Thursday; it is Thanksgiving.  And I am thinking about . . . abundance.  As I look around me today, I see that I am surrounded by family and friends and food and drink . . . and happiness.  I have everything I need.

In abundance.

On Thursday I am thankful that I can recognize and appreciate what I have.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

 

A Week of Thanksgiving: Wednesday

When we're connected to others, we become better people.

-- Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

Today is Wednesday, and I'm thinking about relationships and connections . . . with my family and with my friends.  I cherish the connections I have. . . with Tom; my kids; my family . . . with friends - new and old; near and far; both in "real life" and those that are scattered across the world.

Because of all of you, I am a better person.

On Wednesday, I am grateful for my treasured relationships.

A Week of Thanksgiving: Tuesday

To me, if life boils down to one thing, it's movement.  To live is to keep moving.

--Jerry Seinfeld

Today is Tuesday, and I'm thinking about moving through my days.  Walking.  Jumping.  Stretching.  Dancing.  Reaching.

Movement . . . keeps me balanced. 

On Tuesday, I am grateful for the physical plesure of  movement.

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And, now. . .

This week, we're talking about thankfulness . . . and Ten Things We're Thankful For.  Since that is already my blog-theme-of-the-week, I decided to put my own spin on the topic.  So . . . here are Ten Things I'm Thankful For . . . Limited To The Things I Can See From My Current Vantage Point (my desk!):

1. Computer - So many tools and connections to the world!
2. Camera - Capturing the world around me . . . in digital format.
3. Calendar - Keeping track of commitments and special dates.
4. Photographs - Memories of people, places, and times.
5. Books - They're everywhere in my life!
6. Windows - To see OUT and enjoy the view.
7. Storage Bins - To keep me sorted and organized.
8. Pandora Radio - Of course.
9. Shredder - To get rid of The Evidence!
10. Power Plugs - Multiple ports for multiple gadgets.

There is much to be thankful for . . . whatever our vantage point!

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Join the fun!  Sign up for Ten on Tuesday here.

A Week of Thanksgiving: Monday

Be steady and well-ordered in your life so that you can be fierce and original in your work.

-- Gustave Flaubert

Today is Monday.  Often, I think Mondays are hard.  Because. . . you know.  Work.

But, really, I am thankful for my work. 

I am happy that I can make a contribution.  And be part of the solution.  And use my brain.  (And get paid for it, too.)

On Monday, I am thankful for meaningful work.

A Different Kind of Gardening

Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.

--Marcel Proust

As I've been sifting through my great collections of quotes this month, looking for those that inspire thoughts of gratitude, I found the one above by Marcel Proust.  This quote resonates with me, in particular.  Not just because of the gardener allegory (although, of course, that definitely caught my attention), but because I really like the idea of . . . souls blossoming!

The quote got me thinking . . . about what is it, exactly, that makes a flower garden blossom.  Good roots, healthy plants, rich soil, enough water, sunshine and light, careful tending by dedicated gardeners.  And . . . a fair bit of luck and serendipity, mixed with some plain old resilience!  (Because gardens can surprise us by blossoming through neglect, too.)

It really is like that with our "soul gardens," too . . . isn't it?  It seems that soul gardens blossom in much the same way.  Good roots, healthy plants, rich soil, enough water, sunshine and light, careful tending by dedicated gardeners.  And . . . a fair bit of luck and serendiptiy, mixed with some plain old resilience!  (Because souls can surprise us by blossing through neglect, too.)

So, today, think about the "gardeners" in your own life . . . those who make your soul blossom.  The folks who help you put down roots.  Those who amend the soil so those roots can take hold and grow strong.  The people who provide beams of light and drinks of water just when you need them most. 

Today . . . be grateful . . . for the gardeners in your life.

(And, conversely, remember that YOU are a gardener, too!  You never know when you might be a ray of sunshine or a drop of water . . . coaxing another bloom from someone's soul.)

Saying It Out Loud

Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.

--- William Arthur Ward

It's easy to feel gratitude.   The trick . . . is to express gratitude.

This month, make an extra effort to reach out . . . to let someone know you feel grateful.

• Send a handwritten note.
• Return a favor.
• Listen carefully.
• Offer support.
• Smile.
• Say "thank you."  Out loud.

 

Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received.  Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling.  Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.

--- Henry Van Dyke

Gratitude

It is November; a month where folks (in the US, at least) traditionally take stock and focus on the bounty around them.  It's a month to concentrate on gratitude.

As Hurricane Sandy worked her way to shore on Monday, we enjoyed an incredible sunset here in Michigan.

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.
It turns what we have into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.
It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.

--Melody Beattie, as quoted in Simple Abundance, by Sarah Ban Breathnach

Join me on Thursdays throughout November for thoughts on gratitude.

Refreshment

It's a real treat . . .

to have a place to get away . . .

and . . .

refresh. . .

for a few days!

It fortifies you.  Prepares you.  For the week(s) ahead.

So Very Much

We had a family celebration yesterday.  We had so much to celebrate!

Mothers. . .

(And celebrating by buying SHOES! Two matching shoes for walking in comfort and style.  And that's a real reason to celebrate!)

Birthdays. . .

(Better late than never, right Dad?)

Master's Degrees. . .

(Even if you weren't physically with us, Erin, we toasted your success!)

The end of a successful sophomore year. . .

(With more details about . . .what's cookin'. . . later this week.)

The beginning of fishing season. . .

(Have fun, Tom!)

Blooms. . .

(Eye-popping color everywhere!)

and the end of that damn festival!

So. Very. Much.