Thursday, November 12, 2020

Being Grateful - Nov 12th

 


This November, I have taken on the challenge of pondering blessings that I commonly overlook. Things I would certainly miss if they were gone, yet scarcely give much thought. My goal is to share daily one typically-ignored blessing for which I am truly thankful.



Nov. 12th:


This morning I was mentally reviewing the long list of things I hoped to get done today (Why, oh why is there never enough time?) when it occurred to me that I am very thankful for a healthy brain that collects and stores a vast amount of information. It is a blessing to have functioning brain cells! 

The miracle is that our brains act much like computers, taking in information, storing it, and then retrieving it at some later date. Have you ever stopped to consider how many facts you recall in a single day? How many memories pop up from the past? How many items you can recall without a shopping list? True, our brains don’t function at 100%, but it is still amazing how various memories resurface at the slightest trigger. 

A song brings up images of my high school prom. A phrase sends me back to a bitter divorce. A smell takes me to the bakery where I decorated cakes while working my way through college. A bowling alley makes me smile recalling my first kiss. Happy memories bring joy. Unhappy ones are lessons learned. All of them make for life experiences that shape who we are—that are shaping who I am. Thank goodness for a brain that stores both short-term and long-term memories.

Wednesday, November 11, 2020

Being Grateful - Nov 11th

 

This November, I have taken on the challenge of pondering blessings that I commonly overlook. Things I would certainly miss if they were gone, yet scarcely give much thought. My goal is to share daily one typically-ignored blessing for which I am truly thankful.



Nov. 11th:


I am grateful for the ability to choose. It is Veteran’s Day, a day to thank those who served to protect our country and our valuable freedoms… like the right to choose. 

Yes, I can hardly imagine how awful it would be to lose the right to make choices about my own life, things like what occupation to pursue, which religion to practice, what I believe or don't believe, whether to speak out or remain silent, how I want to live my life and so forth. Making choices is a precious blessing that I try not to take for granted, yet it is easy to think it will never be taken away. 

I know how dangerous it is to neglect appreciation for our rights and liberties, for the choices we are granted. I am thankful for them. And I am forever thankful for those who have fought to protect our right to choose.

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

Being Grateful - Nov 10th

 

This November, I have taken on the challenge of pondering blessings that I commonly overlook. Things I would certainly miss if they were gone, yet scarcely give much thought. My goal is to share daily one typically-ignored blessing for which I am truly thankful.



Nov. 10th:


Today at work I was receiving packages, and I paused to admire a very sturdy, square box. The cardboard was thicker and more durable than typical shipping boxes, which enabled it to travel well across the states… unlike a great many thinner cardboard boxes that arrive banged and dented each week. I was contemplating snagging this impressive box for home use (It would be perfect for storing the ridiculous number of extension cords I own) when the thought crossed my mind that boxes are a really nice thing to have around. 

It’s hard to imagine a room without a box because there are so many uses for them. Along with shipping and freight boxes, there are storage boxes that pile up neatly in closets, sheds, and on shelves. Decorate a few boxes with ribbon and glitter to create beautiful gift packaging. Give bigger boxes to imaginative youngsters and watch how they invent forts, castles, cars, boats, and all sorts of other fun. Cats love to hide inside them. Dogs love to sleep in them. Throw some soil and seeds in a few small boxes and they become planters. Use boxes for moving, for keeping organized, for crafting… these wonderful cardboard rectangles have so many uses! 

I will admit I take them for granted (I bet you do too) but I am very thankful for the variety of boxes I utilize daily.