Three Things...Gratitude Thread

[Allison Joy]

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

1. My dad passing in Dec. of 2018. He had dementia, and was already having hallucinations and delusional thinking. I'm so glad God took him before COVID, because I can't imagine what that would have done to his hallucinations, delusional thinking, and thought processes. I don't know if that's really a "silver lining" but... yeah.

2. My various physical issues as a child and adult. I had hip dyplasia and had major hip surgery at age 9. Then, at age 29, I had a hip replacement (I mentioned that briefly in another post). I had always had this "crazy" idea to do a 5k, but I knew I just couldn't keep up with a typical race. So I found the Color Run. After the first year, I decided to dedicate my walk to a child who was currently going through treatment or had recently completed treatment. I've met SO many amazing families through this, and while almost all of my "Color Run Kids" I've only met virtually, I was connected to someone local this year, and finally got to meet one of my color run kids in person. I love sharing my story and being an advocate. I feel like it's one of my main purposes in life... To encourage other kids who have physical disabilities, and specifically hip dysplasia. (Link to a more complete version of my story for anyone interested, because, like I said, I LOVE to share my story. https://miles4hips.org/allisons-story As if you couldn't tell that it's a bit of a passion of mine...)

3. My current job. My major in college was elementary education. But I've never taught a day in my life, aside from my multiple field experiences in college. If I hadn't been turned down for so many education jobs, I never would have gotten my job at Disability Determinations. That job didn't work out either, but that led to my current job at Vocational Rehabilitation, which I love. I've been at my current job for 13 1/2 years, and I love my co-workers, I love (most) of my job, and I (usually) love that my job has extended beyond just "Intake Specialist."

I'm sure there are more, and probably "better" ones but those are the ones I can think of right now.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Today's topic (Tuesday, 11/8) - 3 things you're grateful to have seen/witnessed

(inspired by the lunar eclipse this morning)

 

[PollyannaMom]

1) I'm grateful to know about and be able to see astronomical events like this morning's lunar eclipse (and the solar eclipse a few years ago). My local news station is good about giving a heads-up when cool stuff like this will be occurring.

2) I'm grateful to have been the age I was when the Berlin Wall came down, and to have actually been able to visit there the summer after. Unlike now, I feel like it was a very hopeful time to be a young adult.

3) I'm grateful to have seen both sides of the explosion of technology (cell phones, etc.) in the past couple of decades. It happened when I was young enough to take advantage of it, but had lived long enough without it to appreciate it and not take it for granted. (Someday when I'm old and grey, I'll be telling little kids that I actually remember when phones were attached to the wall. )

 

[Summer2018]

While traveling in Sweden one summer, I was thrilled to witness the sun set at 10:00pm and rise again at 4:00am. So many hours of daylight was a miracle to me. I wouldn't do well there in the winter though.

Seeing so many whales this past summer, especially whales that are unfortunately very low in numbers was very exciting. There were many seals as well just hanging out by the dock and beach as we sailed by.

Watching disadvantaged children enter my classroom with absolutely no preschool experience, a limited vocabulary, and no skills that you would expect parents to teach (don't know colors, shapes, numbers, letters) grow and progress throughout the school year, meet all of their goals, and graduate kindergarten, is something that I will never take for granted.

 

[slo]

Happy Election Day everyone!
I’m going to be grateful to not see or witness anymore political commercials tomorrow - LOL!! Here, in the Chicago area, they are the worst they’ve ever been - it’s awful!

The three things I’m grateful to have seen or witnessed……

When both of my girls made their first Holy Communion - such a wonderful moment to see and witness

My DD19’s first softball home run, 7-3-15, she was 12 years old. This was a HUGE moment for her - 12 year olds don’t hit HRs very often. 48 home runs later, I’m hoping that I’m there to see her first college home run (she’s a freshman) and especially when she hits her 50th.

The first time I joined my DH’s family (then he was my BF) at their timeshare by The Gulf of Mexico. I will never forget seeing all the nature activity in the water and on the beach. Sandpipers dodging the water coming in and out, pelicans flying around, cranes standing by fisherman hoping for a handout, the dolphins swimming - I can go on and on. I would stand on their balcony for long periods of time just watching and listening to everything. I will never, ever forget those days.

 

[bobbiwoz]

1. Going to the Normandy D Day beaches and learning the struggles and sacrifices that people made so the Allies won WWII.

2. Watching my mom survive as a widow, and she passed at 97. In her old age, she needed a caregiver, a walker, and then a wheelchair. She dealt with everything as best she could and I am grateful that we her family had her as long as we did.

3. My maternal grandparents helped my parents raise my sister and me and they gave us love and support during the years our parents struggled financially and emotionally. In the end my DSis and I always knew we were loved.

( An extra 4. Standing in Lech Walessa’s Solidarity office and feeling the courage and resolve to help free Poland from Communism.)

 

[WDWEPCOT]

Ooh another good one
The man I will say was an Angel as we never found him who saved my DD and another child from drowning at WDW - both me and the other mom couldn’t find this very tall man who vanished into thin air - you will never convince me he was not an Angel - yes drowning right in front of Lifeguard who never saw any of it - happened so fast it’s unbelievable
Wildlife - I enjoy seeing all wildlife - enjoyed it immensely when we went to Alaska - somewhere I’ve wanted to go since I was a kid
The Oceans/ Travel - I have enjoyed seeing and sailing on the Oceans - to be able to see the Ocean and it’s wildlife and have it take you to other lands to see them and meet other people and cultures truly a enriching experience - to know the World is bigger than just your little part
Bonus - internet - I love the internet - where else can you connect with so many people places and things all from your phone at wherever you may be ??? It’s a wonderful thing !! It’s helped so many homebound people connect who otherwise would not be able to !

 

[ronandannette]

1. The gentle, pain-free passing away of our brother. This sounds like an odd one, I know, but stay with me. He was profoundly mentally handicapped and became the ward of my sister and me when our elderly mother could no longer care for him. We’d known this responsibility would fall to us all our lives and it was our sacred duty. Thing is, our family is very “long-living” and while we were both totally committed to caring for him, as the years went by, it became apparent there was nobody waiting in the wings, if one or both of us happened to go first. That prospect was a significant burden to both of us, and although we loved him dearly, his passing of natural causes at the age of 69, after having as happy a life as we could give him, was in many ways a blessing.

2. The amazing historical locations in Southern Europe. Everywhere our eyes fell was like seeing a storybook come to life. Impossible to truly comprehend the significance of some of it without actually being there. I’m still in awe of having stood where the Apostle Paul preached at the Forum in Rome, among other things.

3. The end of Covid lockdowns and a return to being free to gather with others in person. I truly did not appreciate how important this was until the right was taken away.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

Today's topic (Tuesday, 11/8) - 3 things you're grateful to have seen/witnessed

(inspired by the lunar eclipse this morning)

1. The photos we have been getting from space the last few years. It's always been mysterious and beautiful, but now we are getting better detailed photos, that feeling is multiplied by 10000.

2. Rocky Mountains in Colorado. Long before the forest was destroyed by fires and beetles, it was full and beautiful. I spent my childhood summers up around Grand Lake/Granby.

3. Sunrises and sunsets over 2 oceans and a gulf.

 

[1420Elexismc]

1.The peaceful passing of my Dad...he was surrounded by all his kids and his wife and was able to let go finally
2.Seeing Obama get elected-never thought I would see a POC in such a high ranking position
3.Watching all the milestones my children reached over the years and seeing their similarities/differences at each stage-I found it fascinating(still do!)

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Today's topic (Tuesday, 11/8) - 3 things you're grateful to have seen/witnessed

1 How reaching out closer to God along with encouraging a heart of another to do the same absolutely changes all lives involved! Prayer is one of if not the very kindest sincere things to offer anyone.

2 The sheer kindness and faith, friendship and support shared in this very thread and the kindness thread alone here on the Disboards mean more to me than I can say.

3 Being extra blessed to learn from and with God's precious children in preschool, school age and church settings and watching them grow. So very many moments dear to me such as the memory of a young boy at a church camp who presented a touch exterior due to his home life but reached out in friendship to the youngest girl at the camp and also loved her small dog that her mother brought a couple times when she picked up her daughter. Everyday graces and small moments, reminders that we each are blessed to make a kind difference daily.

 

[lynxstch]

3 things you're grateful to have seen/witnessed
1. First and foremost would have to be seeing my husband literally die, and be brought back to life, not once but 2 different times.
2. My goddaughter's birth. I had never witnessed something like that, and being asked by my ex sister in law to be present was something I will never forget
3. Sunrises, (over 2 oceans) sunsets (over 2 oceans), eclipses (the solar one a few years ago,) lunar eclipses in the past (too cloudy here this morning to see today's ), the ocean, the mountains, and everything else that nature provides for us.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

Extra bonus - the sun eclipse with the Moon - a day I’ll never forget I’ve seen two one as a kid and one as a adult - nature is truly a moving experience - I agree the pictures from Space are amazing !!

 

[slo]

Extra bonus - the sun eclipse with the Moon - a day I’ll never forget I’ve seen two one as a kid and one as a adult - nature is truly a moving experience - I agree the pictures from Space are amazing !!

Yes….totally forgot about the one eclipse we saw - it happened on DD’s bday.
I pulled her out of school early so she wouldn’t miss it.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

What a great pic ! Love the look on her face!!!

 

[mumto3girls]

1. I saw turtles hatching at Vero Beach. It was an awesome experience to see them come out of the nest and make their way to the ocean. I was imagining what their journey would be once they got into the water.

2. Hot Air Balloon: a 30th birthday present from my DH. We waited until fall when the leaves would be close to peak and it was a stunning view of our little part of the world. I was nervous though and not sure I would want to do it again

3. Snorkeling in the Caribbean. DH and I were on a cruise long before children and the boat stopped at one of those private islands all the lines seem to have. We went snorkeling just off shore and saw the most amazing fish just beneath us. The water wasn’t even that deep and we weren’t very far out but it was incredible. It’s the only time I’ve ever snorkeled (other than typhoon lagoon lol) and I would love to do that again, next time with the kids.

 

[slo]

What a great pic ! Love the look on her face!!!

LOL!
Thank you - I love this picture
That selfie was actually not easy to take - it took many trys before I got the one I saved

 

[flyingdumbo127]

I also love the picture, Slo! What a blessing and memory for you and your daughter to get to share together.

 

[cm8]

Today's topic (Tuesday, 11/8) - 3 things you're grateful to have seen/witnessed

(inspired by the lunar eclipse this morning)

1. Inauguration of BO. Never ever thought I’d live
to see the day!

2. My DD’s birth into this world. Was told I’d
never get pregnant and or carry to term.
God Did!

3. A shooting star . Wishes do come true!

 

[Allison Joy]

3 things you're grateful to have seen/witnessed
(I'm stealing at least one here...)
1. Got to see pandas at the Atlanta zoo. At that point, they were my favorite animal.

2. The solar eclipse a few years ago. We live within 10 minutes of that path of totality. So my brother and I both took off work, my brother drove us to a park, and we watched it together. There was an audible gasp when it reached totality. Sunset 360 degrees around. (In the picture, I'm wearing my "Star Quest" shirt (children's musical we did at chruch) and reading the Apollo 13 book.) Yes, I went all out. Ha!

3. My mom and dad reaching 50 years of marriage. At that point, we knew my dad was in his last days here on earth. He met his Savior less than a month after their 50th aniversary, and less than 2 weeks after his 80th birthday.