Three Things...Gratitude Thread

[fla4fun]

The various weather factors guiding Hurricane Francine to our east - It's difficult to be completely grateful because it's not a fish storm and it will surely have an impact on other people...possibly even our friends in LA. Still, there is gratitude in being in an area that's largely been spared. Edit- also not completely letting my guard down as we do have bits of the feeders coming in, even though we are on the far west side of the storm.

I hope you, and all our fellow DISers in the path of Francine stay safe. I am grateful that the storm is not coming to Florida, but I wouldn’t wish a hurricane on anyone.

I am grateful for the DISboards and the friends I have made here. We may never meet in person, but we are friends just the same.

I am grateful I figured out how to manually lock my garage door. The opener broke down, and my BIL is planning to install a new one while they are here for Thanksgiving. It was original to the house, so it had a good long life. The first couple of nights I was very nervous about sleeping in the house in case someone tried to get in. I haven’t lived in a house with a manual garage door since I was a child, so it took a few days for me to figure out where the lock was and how to use it.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Random things today -

Fall sunshine
Zoom technology
Dried apple slices

 

[bluecastle]

3 Randoms:
Humor
Advil
YouTube

 

[newski_mom]

3 random from today:

Good conference that ended today
Safe travels back home with no major traffic
DH and DS to come home to

 

[SpaceMan5]

Enjoying family dinners together
Loving the new A/C we purchased this spring
DS19 seeing the light thru Jesus

 

[PollyannaMom]

Today's Topic (Thu, 9/12) - 3 times you were grateful to be checked on or to be able to check on someone else

 

[PollyannaMom]

When I was a kid, we lived next to an older couple, who always took an interest in the neighborhood kids, like an extra set of grandparents. (We were even expected to check in on report card day! - She always knew when it was, and she always made cookies. )

Because I had a C-section with DS, I was very grateful to have MIL (a retired nurse) checking in on us after we came home!

One of the reasons I'm grateful for texting is that you can check in on someone whenever you think of them and not have to worry about whether it's a good time to call.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

I checked on a coworker once - she was seriously considering killing herself - I’ll never forget that day - we were at work and we were chummy and I had not seen her and found her outside in the parking garage on the ledge I was so scared - she was a very stubborn person to begin with I did manage to convince her he was not worth it but her kids were ! It was a very long afternoon up there in that parking garage !!!
My friends who were there for me during my divorce their support meant the world to me !!
I have some older friends and I check in with them frequently to make sure they are doing ok as they are reaching ages where they can’t drive and can’t do a lot of things and I worry about them

 

[slo]

Good Thursday Morning

#1 - Checking in on DD21 - The last month she’s been living by herself, and I checked in on her every day and she was grateful. I told her - how would I know if something happened when I’m 2 1/2 hours away. Now that her BF is there I don’t need to worry anymore, because if something happens to her he’ll call me. It puts my mind at ease knowing he’s there.

#2 - My Mom checking on me after a surgery - she was always making sure I was ok and if I needed anything when my DH was at work.

#3 - DIS Friends - Back in 2010, I took a DIS break and I don’t remember why. But when I came back I had lots of messages from people and many many people had the below picture in their signature (some may remember this photo of my DD26 and I - it was my signature picture until 2021). I was so touched by this and I still am today. My DD21 knows that if something happens to me to let WDWEPCOT and/or Dan Murphy know (hopefully she remembers)

 

[flyingdumbo127]

I believe God has had people call and write me when He knew I most needed to hear from them. Years ago, my beloved grandma and I would send each other a Shoebox card with a dog standing on a ladder looking into a window. The card's message said something like, "Just looking in on you to see how you're doing." Sending and receiving that card always brought me joy.

A kind waitress who grandma and I befriended who told grandma to be sure abd take care because she needed to see us well the following week.

I agree with you dear PollyannaMom about texting. It is a simple way to send a hug. Thank you WDWEPCOT for your kind act. Dear Slo, you sure matter to me. It means a lot to me each day to check in with each of dear you. I need to know you are okay

 

[leebee]

#3 - DIS Friends - Back in 2010, I took a DIS break and I don’t remember why. But when I came back I had lots of messages from people and many many people had the below picture in their signature (some may remember this photo of my DD26 and I - it was my signature picture until 2021). I was so touched by this and I still am today. My DD21 knows that if something happens to me to let WDWEPCOT and/or Dan Murphy know (hopefully she remembers)

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I remember this picture from long ago when you were using it! I think it's a good point, to let someone here on the DISboards know if something happens to one of us. I know there are people who have just disappeared, people who I feel like I've gotten to "know" over the years, I always wonder where they went, if they just aren't interested anymore or if something has happened to them. As with everything else, I like to know the end of the story, even if it's not "happily ever after."

 

[SarahM1987]

Everyone who came to visit me in the hospital from family, to friends, my teachers, and people who were just friends of our family that I had never even met, they all kept praying for me during my injury recovery, and helping me through my depression when I was a senior in high school.

Checking in on family and friends whenever they are in the hospital, or feeling down for different reasons, and just trying to be there for them when they need someone.

Being an occupational therapist for others with spinal cord injuries like myself, I sometimes develop a close bond with them and will continue to check on them throughout their recovery when I'm not working. I've made some lasting friendships with several of my patients over the years, and help get them involved in adaptive sports and other things based on their activity level.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

You know that is what always bothers me - who’s going to tell all my far away online friends when something happens to me ?? I remember when Low key passed I was contacting him inquiring if he was OK and it took a while before I found out that he had passed broke my heart develop relationships with some people very close ones and sometimes other people don’t know you have these relationships
I have a lot of friends that I’ve worked with over the years or I’ve met the Boards some live across the pond we talk all the time a lot of my friends and coworkers live out of state we talk constantly but we do it through text or we do it online And it just makes me sad that sometimes you may never find out what happened to somebody and I just don’t want their family thinking that they didn’t have friends or nobody cared - we’re not getting any younger

 

[TiggerTrigger]

T being there for me - Due to my husband's upbringing, he's not the greatest at reading when someone is in need. My friend T has had to pick up the slack for many years. We're talking everything from everyday kind of frustrations and my storm fears to big things like pregnancy complications and cancer. Not that DH wasn't there for that stuff in some capacity, but she can read when I need more than what he's giving.

Me being there for T - While I am very outgoing and will let people know if something is wrong, Ms. T is not. So, I have had to learn to look for clues and find fun pathways into conversation to get her to open up.

My parents - I think it really stands out because they're so far away compared to DH's family. We used to live 12 miles from my MIL and are still only about 45 miles away, yet we see her no more than 1-2x a year and it's rarely more than for a couple of hours. We learned many years ago that she just wasn't someone we could depend on and it was clear she wanted the same kind of detached relationship like she has with DH. Trust me...in those early years, we really tried. DH's dad, before he passed in 2019, was about 200 miles away and I don't think he saw his grandkids more than 5x. My parents live nearly 1,200 miles away but we FaceTime once a week, email/text/message nearly every day, and we see each other several weeks out of the year. If my mom even catches a hint of something being wrong, I'll get a call or text that eventually leads into suggestions and offers of assistance. I leave it up to them, but I know they message and FaceTime with DD18 at college as well and I think she's already gotten some care packages. Not quite like the kind I got when I was in school, but it's still those little gestures when you need a boost.

 

[PollyannaMom]

...and I think she's already gotten some care packages. Not quite like the kind I got when I was in school, but it's still those little gestures when you need a boost.

Oooh, that's a good one - I remember how cool it was to get care packages from my mom or my roommate's mom back in school!! I sent some to my nieces and DS as well, but you're right that it's different now in the days of them being able to just order things from Amazon whenever.

 

[bluecastle]

My BFF from college and I drifted apart when I married my first husband at the young age of 20. But in spite of that fact, when my marriage ended and I was so alone, I called her and she volunteered to drive 3 hours to come and get me. (I told her she didn’t have to, but I ended up staying with her for a week while he figured out what he wanted) I have never forgotten her offer to be there for me.

My sister-in-law/friend and I are always checking on each other, especially when we go for a week or more without texting. We both deal with chronic pain and we know that sometimes we withdraw when we are going through a tough time, so we reach out and offer whatever is needed, talking together or being alone for a while. Our friendship is truly one of respect as well as love.

When I was going through my radiation treatments and “came out” about having cancer on FB, I had many offers of help and support.

I have a friend who lost her husband 3 years ago and is still posting memories of him on FB and still actively grieving. I check on her and make sure that she knows that I don’t believe there is a time limit on grief and she is welcome to express whatever she is feeling to me.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

There is no time limit on grieve except a lifetime it’s something you learn to live with not get over because you don’t get over it I’m still grieving a very close friend it’s been 40 yrs and it still hurts - at times unbearably some people don’t understand that or it makes them uncomfortable but it’s just a fact of life if you love you will sadly experience it

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Big extra hug with love to all and extra to those actively greiving. I learned earlier today that an elderly friend from church who I really admired went onto Heaven. I believe Mary will always be with me and she was a kind firecracker who like my beloved late grandparents would have loved our kind thread. I believe from Heaven, they do.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Today's Topic (Fri, 9/13) - 3 things you're grateful for beginning with W

 

[slo]

Happy Friday the 13th Everyone

#1 - Winning - When my DD21 was playing softball, there were some games that winning was huge, especially on the journey for the team to go to State in high school.

#2 - Water - obviously it’s a necessity of life, which we are all grateful for, but I’m especially grateful for our Lake Michigan water. It tastes a lot better than well water or other waters towns and cities have.

#3 - WDW - Of course I’m going to say something about Disney . This park has given me/the whole family so many wonderful memories throughout the years - since 1976 for me