Gratitude

[RedRosa]

I try every single day to find something positive to be thankful for and today it’s this.

While the loss of friends is sad and inevitable if you live long enough, what a wonderful gift to have had them in my life at all.

Friendships often have a life span as well. Life goes on. People get married, move, get into new hobbies and adventures and it’s all ok.

Memories last a lifetime.

Some of my closest friends are people I rarely get to see anymore but when you get together it’s perfect.

Some of my past loves are people I still feel fondly about and keep in touch with. While our love relationship may have not lasted, I have been blessed to have had several long term relationships with good women who had amazing talents and gifts. Death or distance did not sever the connection, which is life long. I’m very proud of the accomplishments they’ve made in life.

Enjoy life. Resentment is useless.

Thank those that have come and gone for the lessons they taught you.

And love who you are despite losses or disappointment. It makes you stronger when you survive and feel love again. And they do too.

And…Enjoy the sun when it’s shining.

[Mintcake]

I agree with every single word you say, @RedRosa
Love the positivity. Unfortunately not everybody thinks like that and they certainly wouldn't appreciate all the wonderful aspects of life, especially the simple things. Even bad weather in winter can be awesome, it can't always be sunny. There's a reason why we have seasonal cycles.

So this reminds me of a friend of my grandparents. A widow age 99. Her 3 children began to arrange a party for her 100th birthday end of next month. Unfortunately the lady passed away 2 weeks ago, not quite reaching 100. Her 3 children have decided to go ahead with the party, not to mourn her loss but to celebrate their mum's long and happy life.

I just think that is so touching.

[Lilianna]

good wisdom here
I remember back in the day LJ comms had gratitude challenges where you had to say one thing a day you are grateful for, it was definitely a mental health boost for me

today i am grateful for air conditioning!

[VirgoGirl]

I am grateful for all the love i have in my life. My husband, my child, my girlfriend, my friends, my family.

I am mostly grateful for the wonderful years i was blessed to have had with a close family member of mine that passed away recently. The memories will forever remain and are etched on my heart and soul. "It is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all".

I'm grateful for love.

It's good to practice grattitude every day. It makes you realise how much you actually have and that in turn makes you positive. If you're positive then you attract more positivity. Like attracts like.

[Lilianna]

I'm grateful my boss turned down my request to spend 2 weeks in Puerto Rico because honestly it would have been very hard to be alone and away from the kids for that long - but I need field time so I would have had to do it if he had said yes. But I'm grateful I do get to go for 4 days anyway, during our August conference there, I have become a very nervous traveler but I know being there will be a great experience!

[RedRosa]

You wake up and it’s a sunny day -- a beautiful day. Life is pretty good and you just try to do something productive and something nice. You get your groceries bought, the house tidied. You pet your cat and make sure your elderly neighbor is ok.

Then you turn on the TV and you realize that it’s all really messed up. This world is so messed up. And the comfort you are momentarily in is not the reality far too many are facing. It’s so hard to just not think about it. The helplessness of not being able to do a thing about it is hard. One place recovers , another gets a mass shooter or a missile. One world crisis after another, divisive politics -- it’s endless.

So thinking about one’s own positives sounds like a good solution -- it’s October and it’s a beautiful day. All my friends are ok today.

Then I feel guilty for focusing on my own good fortune.

I’m grabbing my backpack and going for a walk in the hood with my local cafe for my destination where I'll have another coffee and read my book in peace.

We need reasons to hope.

Sorry to sound so corny but that’s where I’m at right now. I need to re-vibe.

[Greengirl]

You wake up and it’s a sunny day -- a beautiful day. Life is pretty good and you just try to do something productive and something nice. You get your groceries bought, the house tidied. You pet your cat and make sure your elderly neighbor is ok.

Then you turn on the TV and you realize that it’s all really messed up. This world is so messed up. And the comfort you are momentarily in is not the reality far too many are facing. It’s so hard to just not think about it. The helplessness of not being able to do a thing about it is hard. One place recovers , another gets a mass shooter or a missile. One world crisis after another, divisive politics -- it’s endless.

So thinking about one’s own positives sounds like a good solution -- it’s October and it’s a beautiful day. All my friends are ok today.

Then I feel guilty for focusing on my own good fortune.

I’m grabbing my backpack and going for a walk in the hood with my local cafe for my destination where I'll have another coffee and read my book in peace.

We need reasons to hope.

Sorry to sound so corny but that’s where I’m at right now. I need to re-vibe.

I get this!

I think it is important to find gratitude in the small (and bigger) things in life otherwise we will be bogged down with negativity.

We need hope!

[RedRosa]

I woke up this morning and realized that I'm in love with my poet friend who lives 400 miles away. Yes, there's also the age gap -- she's 46 and I'm 69.

Falling in love in old age is still possible! But then there's this: “𝐈𝐭 𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧.” ~ Susan Sontag

[KAtBiRD]

Right now, I’m thankful for this warm bath that is soothing my mature developing aching body. I’m down with MDB, yeah you know me! Sorry, awkward weirdo popped out! I tend to be very introspective and frequently reflect on my life as far back as I can recall, which is pretty far back. I’m talking standing in the crib far back! Anyway, I may not act like or verbalize all my gratitude, but my list is long and that I am grateful for too.

[moonbynight]

I'm thankful to have found some things that seem to help with my mood and/or sleep to the extent that I now feel capable of responding to this thread.

I'm thankful for some opportunities that have greatly reduced the financial stress related to Christmas, and of parenting in general.