Three Things...Gratitude Thread

[slo]

I’m going to pop back in and do yesterday’s since I was busy yesterday.

3 things I’m grateful for this weekend….

5:00 Mass last night - going to Mass and receiving the body and blood of Christ is one of my favorite moments of the week.

Alone time last night to chill out and watch a movie of only my choice. DH was volunteering at an event and as much as I enjoy my time with him, it was nice to have alone time and not have to decide on a movie we would both enjoy together. I ended up watching Mama Mia (DH doesn’t like movie musicals) and I didn’t like this movie at all - total bummer. But after that I started watching Grace & Frankie again which always makes me smile - I love that show!

Lectoring/Reading at a funeral at my church yesterday morning. I’m grateful I had the time to be there for the family of a parishioner that passed away. This was my first funeral to read at, and I was a little nervous because things are done a little different than when I read at Mass (I’ve been doing this for 15 years, but now that DD19 is in college I’m volunteering to read for more Masses than just the weekend Masses) and I’m grateful everything went smooth - screwing up at someone’s funeral would not be good

 

[lynxstch]

Pandemic lockdown spring/summer 2020: DD lost her job and was in limbo. It forced her to reevaluate her goals leading to her enrolling in an arts & design school. She got a fashion degree and a new job followed quickly by a promotion. She now has a bright career future.

Impossibly difficult student led to a much better paraprofessional in my classroom.

Mild November weather. I am currently wearing flip flops and summer clothes in Connecticut.

Same for the weather here in Western MD. I have shorts, a t shirt, and no shoes, lol!

 

[cm8]

Today's Topic (Sat. 11/5) - 3 Things You're Grateful For About This Weekend

1. Being home with my family
2. I woke up!!!
3. One day closer to Fall Break

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Today's Topic (Sun. 11/6) - 3 Unexpected Things You're Grateful For

1 Dad and I woke up both of us in right mind and health, ability to serve and give thanks. Online worship service to come.
2 Kindness of all in this thread and I believe at heart of all people.
3 Very late-night mail delivery last night. I felt badly for the carrier. Extra grateful to him for delivering.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

Today's Topic (Sat. 11/5) - 3 Things You're Grateful For About This Weekend

oops, missed this one
1. REI getting DH's bike done, so we can go pick it up.

2. cooler, drizzly weather this morning

3. Broncos having a bye week; maybe they'll make some personel changes in the office.

Today's Topic (Sun. 11/6) - 3 Unexpected Things You're Grateful For

1. Whistlepig.
DH discovered it through a drink making channel he watches online, and I really like it!


2. Walmart shipping. They are beating Amazon for me, in shipping things that actually arrive in 2 days, and not a week later but 2 days after shipping. (does that make sense?) plus, some things I order for shipping, they are delivering direct from the store!

3. The ER by my house. Very clean, very organized. Has a little kid sized toilet and sink in the bathrooms by the check in desk.

 

[cm8]

Today's Topic (Sun. 11/6) - 3 Unexpected Things You're Grateful For

1. I didn’t win the PB lottery because I would have to scrub my social media and change my ID

2. A burst of energy out of know where when I was certain all my “spoons” were out for today

3. Left overs! Now dinner will take half the time to prepare

 

[Allison Joy]

3 Unexpected Things You're Grateful For
(In random order. Just in case anyone thinks my priorities are misplaced. Ha!)
1. My niece! She's 6 now, but my brother and sister-in-law had always said they didn't want any kids. She's my only niece/nephew.
2. This might sound silly, but getting to watch Albert Pujols play as a Cardinal in his last year in the MLB. This season (although it didn't end well) was so much fun, watching Pujols' chase for 700 HR, and watching Molina and Wainwright their last year together.
3. I work one-on-one with a 7th grader with disabilities for Awana, a Bible memorization program at my church. In the past few weeks, he's told me "I love you," multiple times, and then holds my hand after his mom picks him up, and "makes" me walk with him part of the way to the exit. Oh my gosh. My heart just melts every time. I worked with him before COVID and this is the first year he's been back since COVID. (and NO it's not at all in a "crush" way!)

 

[PollyannaMom]

Today's Gratitude Topic (Mon. 11/7) - Silver Linings ... 3 Times Something Good Came out of Something Bad

 

[WDWEPCOT]

I’m going to ponder this one it’s deep and get back to you…..,

 

[slo]

It’s the start of a new week - Happy Monday everyone!

I’m the queen of finding that silver lining - it’s always been an ongoing joke with my friends.

My DH lost his job July 2021 and found a better job a month later. The job he lost was very stressful and farther away from home. Thanks be to God for him losing that job, because if he didn’t, he wouldn’t have the job he has now.

My stepdad raised me and when he passed away in 2015, my mom rekindled her relationship with my biological dad. At first I wasn’t loving this, but later my biological dad and I rekindled our relationship and I am so grateful. I’m blessed to have had my stepdad in my younger years and my biological dad in my older years - two men that I call dad that love me and I love them. (This is the cliff notes version of a very lonnnnnnng story)

My poor 14 1/2 year old Sophie dog passed away this summer, which was horribly sad. But her passing allowed my DH and I for the first time in many years to be able to travel together to watch DD19 play softball (now in college). In the past he would stay home with the dog, because I coached and I had to go. DD19 and I traveled overnight to many places that DH couldn’t go, because we didn’t want to board the dog in her older years. It’s nice having him with me and not sending videos of DD19 playing to him - he’s finally able to watch entire games and he’s loving it.


I can go on and on about silver linings.
The thing about silver linings is you must open your heart and your eyes to see them. If all your heart feels is bitterness and all your eyes see is the worst, then silver linings will not come to you very easily.

Hugs to all those that have had bad things happen and hugs to those that have found that silver lining

 

[WDWEPCOT]

I will not write about the bad situation but I found out who my true friends were - that was a very valuable lesson - the people who stick by you when you are down or struggling are your true friends

Again - won’t write about the situation but I found I am stronger than I thought I can handle more than I thought and I can do things I’ve been told for decades I can’t do - I’ve learned NOT to listen to that - I can be me and I can do these things ! Valuable lesson learned that I had to learn on my own !

As you all know - I have family members with mental illness - I’ve dealt with bad - my valuable lesson learned is I tune out people who don’t know or don’t understand but think they do - I’ve learned you can’t teach some people because they refuse to learn - I have learned it makes no difference to me and what I do and how I do it - I have learned I don’t care how You judge me you are not doing this do it does not matter - you will NOT sway or alter my life or my decisions because you think it should be some way to fit into your world - that is not how it works - everyone comes in all shapes and sized and all kinds of for lack of better word crazy ( not meant as mean ) so deal with it !! I don’t have to confirm to what you want to make you comfortable - that is a lesson people need to learn - just sayin !

Again - I enjoy this thread - it’s inspiring and reflective - both for me as myself and reading what other have to say and reflecting on how that applies to me or could and what they go through and think

 

[Summer2018]

A long a painful infertility journey led me to IVF and the birth of my daughter who is turning 25 on Friday.

I endured multiple awful administrators that caused me so much stress it affected my health. Many teachers transferred, quit, or left the profession entirely. I stuck it out and had faith that it would get better. Now I teach in a large classroom in a beautiful school with the BEST principals in the city.

I will repeat my daughter's experience during Covid...reevaluating, switching her career path, returning to school, and getting a new successful career.

 

[bobbiwoz]

Moving to Ohio because of DH’s work was extremely hard for me, but I have new friends whom I never would have known.

Moving to Ohio we found a Faith Community that helped me spiritually when I needed it most.

Because we moved to Ohio we bought this house in Cape May NJ, originally with my DSis, and it’s our just about perfect retirement home!

 

[lynxstch]

Silver Linings ... 3 Times Something Good Came out of Something Bad

1. First marriage wasn't going well after 28 years. I met Don (current husband) online during that time, and that turned the bad into what has been the happiest 22 years of my life since then.
2. Don lost his job about 10 years ago. He had been in retail almost all of his life. Looking for a new job, he found a position at a non profit that works with mentally and physically challenged adults, and worked there for the next 10 years. He always says he should have done that way sooner than he did, as it fulfilled him much more than retail did.
3. Like WDWEPCOT, I have learned to do many things, that people said I couldn't. I still get told every now and then, that I can't do something, but I prove them wrong almost every time, and I figure it out on my own and accomplish it.

 

[1420Elexismc]

1. My daughter-I was on BC and she somehow decided she was still arriving. I was 19-and just starting out on my own and truthfully scared. Having her was one of the best things I have ever done, she made me a mom and prepared me very well for the arrival of her brother 12 years later lol.
2.My company was acquired about 3 years ago. I was nervous about what I was going to do(stick it out or look for another job elsewhere) because I knew there would be cuts and I was not interested in battling someone out for my position. Luckily my old sales manager decided to branch off and start his own company and I am now in a higher position making more money than I was ever offered at the old company that I had been with for 11 years.
3.It may sound strange but finding out some of my health issues. I went in thinking it was one thing, but finding out it was something more serious and being able to address them right away. I didn't have any common symptoms so I would have had no idea and it may have been too late for intervention. Glad I didn't have to take that chance!

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Today's Gratitude Topic (Mon. 11/7) - Silver Linings ... 3 Times Something Good Came out of Something Bad

1 I daily pray for a kind and permanent end to the ongoing pandemic! This time has been one of extra blessing for me. By the Grace and Mercy of God, I have become healthier all-around. I also much better learned to cherish each day period as the gift from God it is! Extra blessing each morning, of course to be able to give Him additional thanksgiving for delivering my beloved dad and I into another day, both of us in health, right mind, and ability to serve. Small everyday graces are truly miracles from God!

2 I also am someone who does her best to find joy in all. There can indeed always be a silver lining. Sometimes it is indeed a challenge to find it/want to do so but that never means it's not there! What counts is that I might remember always He is there no matter what.

3 Like others of you have courageously shared, there have been times where I, too, have been told there was something I couldn't do or do well. I chose to try anyway, and the experience was a blessing.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I will repeat my daughter's experience during Covid...reevaluating, switching her career path, returning to school, and getting a new successful career.

I meant to thank you for yesterday's post about that - it was the inspiration for today's topic!


I have a couple related to the pandemic as well:

1) increased communication with far-away family members - When we couldn't see each other the normal couple of times a year, we got way better about calling and e-mailing. I now have standing weekly chats with 3 different people that we've preserved even as things got busy again, and even after we've resumed in-person visits. We're closer now than we were before!

2) learning new technologies - I learned Zoom and even how to post YouTube videos during the lockdown. I used to consider myself pretty technophobic, but now I take a weekly class over Zoom, and I love it!


And one un-related:

3) a couple of years ago, we had a mold problem in our attic. It's all solved now, but it forced us to get rid of a lot of stuff. We really needed to declutter, but I don't think we would have done it without that prompting. What I learned was that we didn't need so much after all, and it feels so much better to have that project done. (I need to keep that in mind as I declutter some other areas! )

 

[Summer2018]

I meant to thank you for yesterday's post about that - it was the inspiration for today's topic!


I have a couple related to the pandemic as well:

1) increased communication with far-away family members - When we couldn't see each other the normal couple of times a year, we got way better about calling and e-mailing. I now have standing weekly chats with 3 different people that we've preserved even as things got busy again, and even after we've resumed in-person visits. We're closer now than we were before!

2) learning new technologies - I learned Zoom and even how to post YouTube videos during the lockdown. I used to consider myself pretty technophobic, but now I take a weekly class over Zoom, and I love it!


And one un-related:

3) a couple of years ago, we had a mold problem in our attic. It's all solved now, but it forced us to get rid of a lot of stuff. We really needed to declutter, but I don't think we would have done it without that prompting. What I learned was that we didn't need so much after all, and it feels so much better to have that project done. (I need to keep that in mind as I declutter some other areas! )

I had a feeling lol.

It truly was life changing. I was so concerned about her future up until that point.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

Today's Gratitude Topic (Mon. 11/7) - Silver Linings ... 3 Times Something Good Came out of Something Bad

1. If I hadn't gotten pregnant in high school in 1989, if I hadn't married DD#1's sperm donor in 1991, I wouldn't have been desparate for a job in 1992, and I wouldn't have walked into the McDonald's I had worked at as a sophomore/junior in high school, to find one. I would have never met DH; I never would have had DD#2 and DS. My life would be 100% different than what it is now, but I can't say it would be better.


2. If a tech hadn't mistakenly run a test on DH's urine, he/she wouldn't have discovered the microscopic bit of blood in it so soon. If the doctor hadn't been a bit curious about the blood, he wouldn't have ordered more tests, and they would have discovered the tumor a lot later. Saved DH's life.


3. If I hadn't been desparate for a promotion, we wouldn't have moved to Las Vegas, to open the market for Chipotle, right when I discovered I was pregnant with DS. Then I wouldn't have had a boss that made me happy to leave that job. So, a few years later, DH became desparate to find a new one job, to get us out of Las Vegas, where DD#2 was failing; and found one in FL. DD#2 would bir have been at the high school she ended up at. She never would have met DSonIL#2, in that high school; and they wouldn't have reunited after they graduated, and wouldn't have had DGS#2.

So, yeah. Good things from bad ones.

 

[cm8]

Silver Linings ... 3 Times Something Good Came out of Something Bad

1. Got caught in a rip tide and was almost swept out to sea! God saved me!! He told me to reach my hand up and as I did, I grabbed the last rock on the jetty before being washed out! I was about 9/10 years old and till this day, he has guided me out of some situations that should have left me dead!

2. March 2020 The day the world stopped for me was March 12, 2020. Schools shut down and worry took over. I had to learn to let go and let God. It allowed me reevaluate a lot of things that I allowed simply from being too nice. It led me to find a lot of empowerment through reading of the word. Led me to my 3 favorite versus!! I created a prayer box and everything that gave me worry I wrote it down and placed it in my prayer box. I can’t even describe the kind of peace that came over me once I did this.

Psalms 46:5​

Joshua 1:9​

Philippians 4:7

3. Being able to make memories even in the midst of such chaos of the past 2 years. I’m very thankful for this alone.