Being Grateful - Nov 19th

 

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. 19th:

Today I am thankful for floss. Now, that might seem like an odd thing to say, but believe me, there is genuine gratitude to be felt at finding a roll of minty floss when food is wedged between your teeth.

 I don’t recall it being a problem when I was young, but as an older adult I have found that food gets caught in my teeth a lot—way too often—and it is aggravating! My poor tongue nearly goes numb struggling to loosen trapped food... largely without success. Neither a toothpick nor a fingernail work well enough. It drives me mad the more I try! Ugh! 

I admit it; I have resorted to using thread, yarn, ribbon, hair (my own), paper, the end of a straw, and even the tip of a sewing needle when no floss was available. Nothing has proven as effective as actual dental floss. Those thin, waxy, minty strings are useful, satisfying, lifesaving, and in my opinion hugely-underappreciated. And yes, I am very thankful for floss.

 November 20th

Being Grateful - Nov 18th

 

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. 18th:

There are opposites in all things: light versus darkness, heat and coldness, noise contrasting quiet, laughter versus tears. You could probably list a dozen more opposites without thinking too hard about it. 

We experience each side of these coins through a lifetime, tasting the bitter and the sweet at various points. It is because of opposites that we develop appreciation. 

For example, hard work makes us welcome rest. Salt causes sugar to taste sweeter to the tongue. The chill of winter gives summertime more impact. Prolonged darkness gives greater value to a sunrise. It is our experiences with opposition that teach us to appreciate the good over the bad, the kind over the cruel, things of worth over things of no real value. 

Even though some experiences are unpleasant, the truth is that opposition makes us more aware, more discerning, and more appreciative. I am grateful for opposites and the learning experiences they provide us in life.

 

 November 19th

Being Grateful - Nov 17th

 

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. 17th:

I removed a pile of envelopes from my mailbox today and noticed a big, brown, hairy spider standing motionless on the top piece of mail. Shrieking (because I hate spiders) I dumped everything onto the ground and then—with a thick envelope advertising 0% on a new credit card—I swatted at where the spider had landed. You might be wondering if today I am grateful for no-interest credit card offers (as if there’s never a catch) but no. The nasty spider got me thinking….

Strangely, I’m not afraid of grasshoppers, crickets, tree frogs, or mantises that are found in abundance where I live. Nope, I just hate spiders. I neither appreciate their purpose nor understand why they were designed to look so creepy. *shuddering* Nonetheless, I have a friend who is in fact fascinated by spiders: their hunting methods, routine habits, and the geometric design of their webs. So, while I freak out at the sight of eight long, hairy legs, spiders genuinely capture my friend’s interest. (Go figure.)

Now, this got me thinking about how vast the variety of life is on the Earth. Did you know there are over 8,700,000 species of animals in the world? Over 34,000 recognized species of fish, over 17,500 species of butterflies, over 10,000 species of birds, over 9,000 different insects, and over 45,000 kinds of spiders! (That’s a lot of creepy crawlers.)

My point is that nature gifts us a wealth of variety in life—in lifeforms. The world is a colorful, stunning place because of it. Among human life the same thing is true: we are more beautiful because of the variety that exists in our appearances, cultures, talents, and unique personalities. Variety is a tremendous blessing. Differences are glorious. I am thankful today to have recognized this truth.

 

 November 18th

Being Grateful - Nov 16th

 

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. 16th:

One of my all-time favorite phrases has been around for years, and it goes like this: 

"Once upon a time…"

Oh, how I love to hear those words! They have the power to hush an auditorium full of people, making every ear pause with anticipation for one of the most enticing pleasures in the world—a story. 

We love stories! I love to read them; I love to write them. But it is not the fairy tales I find as fascinating as the creativity and imagination unveiled by the author who wrote them. Stories are a treat—no arguments there—but when the plot takes an unexpected turn, when the tale “wows” the reader, that is the sweet experience we want. 

It takes real creativity and imagination to craft a story like that. I am thankful for clever imaginations. I am thankful for the gift of creativity. I am thankful that these talents can be improved with practice.

 

 November 17th

Being Grateful - Nov 15th

 

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. 15th:

I had a delightful time this weekend baking delicious treats with a very good friend. We made soft chocolate-chip cookies, homemade bread, big cream puffs, sweet apple pie, and a peach-apricot tart… and it’s not even Thanksgiving yet! 

Everything was made from scratch (not kidding!) and every recipe called for one main ingredient—flour. I grind my own wheat ahead of time and keep the flour in jars for ready use. Wheat flour is a good source of iron, thiamine, niacin, calcium, and vitamin B6, in addition to several vitamins and minerals. It is “the staff of life” and certainly stores well because it lasts FOREVER! Well, for many, many, many years anyway. 

Today I am grateful for the nutritional value of wheat and for flour that is a key ingredient in so many foods we eat (including the delicious waffles I made this morning!)

 

 November 16th

Being Grateful - Nov 14th

 

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. 14th:

“Why do you think the sky is so blue?”

“Google it, Mom.”

“What is the rule for semicolon use?”

“Google it, Mom.”

“What was that funny quote Shakespeare wrote in As You Like It?”

“Just Google it, Mom!”

It took a long time for my mind to accept that Googling is a legitimate tool for information gathering. My boys use it religiously to research material for schoolwork, but when I was in school, information gathering meant a trip to the library or questioning someone who might know. 

It is mind-boggling to me that nearly anything you want to know today is available online. It is even more mind-boggling to see how many lesson videos are posted, starring pros ready to teach us nearly anything we want to learn. Want to play the guitar? The piano? The drums? Choose from numerous music lessons online. Want to learn how to check the oil in your car? Google it! Want to solve the equation 2+49/7(45-3) = (X/2)+17 and actually get the right answer? Google it! (This is why my kids got their homework done so fast. Hmmm.) 

My point is this: there has never been a time in human history when information and education were so easily and readily available to people all over the world. I am immensely grateful I have access to it. And yes, I use it all the time. (Yes, sometimes just to Google my name, but hey.)

 

 November 15th

Being Grateful - Nov 13th

 

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. 13th:

Imagine what the world would be like without paper. No notebooks on which to write, cardstock on which to print photographs, newspaper on which to print daily news. Nothing from which to make dollar bills or publish books or make paper planes. Sure, we can do these things digitally today… all except for making a paper plane… but there is something satisfying about tangible contact with paper products versus virtual, digital experiences. 

I love the feel of paper in my hands: the smoothness of glossy photos, the sensation of flipping pages, the heaviness of big books. My fingers find satisfaction brushing over embossed décor on Christmas cards and rubbing brand new dollar bills between my fingers. I like writing with pen on paper. I like receiving Thank You cards in the mail. I enjoy amazing origami created from the detailed art of folding paper. 

Paper is a versatile blessing that affords many tactile experiences for which I am thankful. Yes, including toilet paper. 2020 surely made us thankful for toilet paper—there is no digital substitute for it!

 

 November 14th

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.

 November 13th

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.

 November 12th

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.

 November 11th

Being Grateful - Nov 9th

 

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. 9th:

It’s getting colder outside. Today the sky was grey, threatening snow, which got me thinking about the need for snow tires… which got me dreading the possibility of ice on the roads soon… which naturally (or not) got me to thinking about friction. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I am really grateful for friction.

 

Whether you appreciate it or not, there are great advantages to friction. It enables the wheels of my car to move forward and not slip on the road. It enables me to walk for the same reason. Friction makes the brakes work so my car comes to a stop—you ought to be thankful for that! Friction allows me to stack my books high (books I intend to read someday) and keeps them from easily slipping off the pile. Friction allows me to write my notes on a piece of paper before typing up the final draft.

 

If you think about it, there are a lot of benefits to friction: it generates heat, burns up asteroids in the atmosphere, slows down runaway carts, etc. The world would be a different place without it, that’s for sure. I am indeed grateful for the benefits of friction.

 November 10th

Being Grateful - Nov 8th

 

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. 8th:

I am grateful for vowels. Yes, vowels.

Have you ever thought about the difficulties that would arise if you were incapable of making the / a / e / i / o / u / sounds? Singing would be nearly impossible.   Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do   Try singing that without vowels! This fact hit me while watching The Tabernacle Choir on television. 

I was admiring their lovely harmony when it occurred to me that every sustained note was on a vowel. Every single one! After I attempted to sing a sustained consonant, I realized it was near impossible with most, and it was very unnatural with those consonants I managed to hold for a few long seconds. 

Vowels make music beautiful. They make language beautiful and simple to form in the mouth. Communication is soooo much easier and pleasant because of vowels. I never really thought about it before, but I am definitely grateful for vowels.

 November 9th

Being Grateful - Nov 7th

 

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. 7th:

Did you know that if you had $10,000 you could trade it in for a million pennies? I know, right? Why would you want to? I mean, a penny is only worth 1/100th of a dollar. We tend not to notice them anymore, even when a handful are scattered on the ground. Why bother breaking your back to retrieve one? Well, let me tell you why. 

Regardless of a penny’s monetary worth, I am actually grateful for the coin. Yes, I usually take the time to stoop down and pick one up. I started doing this regularly after hearing a comment that, in my eyes, shone a bright light on their greater worth. 

"A penny’s value is in what it represents more than in the candy it can buy." 

I doubt a single penny can be exchanged for any amount of candy these days, yet it is valued by me. I read the words printed on the face—In God We Trust. This maxim is a reminder of the principles and beliefs our country was founded upon. It is a reminder of my own faith in a living, loving God. 

Finding a penny has become a good-luck charm of sorts, like finding a four-leaf clover, because it makes me stop and think about the things of real worth in life: things like faith, integrity, relationships, gratitude, happiness, friends, and family. Like the penny, these things may not have high monetary value yet they are priceless in intrinsic worth. And though I cannot take a penny or a dime or a dollar with me when I pass from this life to the next, I do believe I will take these other precious gifts with me if I am found in possession of them here and now. Pennies remind me of this, and for that I am grateful.

November 8th