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| A railroad switch point on the tracks at the Golden Spike National Historic Park |
There is a lot I don't know. I don't know who will lead the United States for the next four years (at the time I'm composing this post, that hasn't been determined yet.) I don't know when covid cases will stop rising in my state and start decreasing. I don't know how challenging situations will turn out. There is much uncertainty in life. Living in limbo-land is hard. It's emotionally exhausting. It can be immobilizing. My body seems to think chocolate is the answer, but I know that isn't a long-term solution.
What do I need in times like these? I need to REMEMBER.
1. Resilience. People are resilient. I am resilient. I'm thankful for resilience.
2. "Each Life That Touches Ours for Good." So many people, both those I know in "real life," and those I have only met virtually, have taught me, encouraged me, and been examples to me. I'm thankful for each one.
3. Messiah, the deliverer. He has already taken upon Himself the burdens of the world. I am thankful He is willing to carry mine.
4. Endurance. Because of #3, I can put things in perspective and carry on. I am thankful for endurance.
5. Music. It calms, uplifts, enlivens, and otherwise just makes things better. I am thankful for music.
6. Breathing. It keeps us alive. Deep breaths calm us. Listening to the gentle soft breathing of others (whether human or canine) while they sleep is relaxing. (And listening to Drexel when he occasionally saws logs is amusing!) I'm thankful for breathing.
7. Exercise. Something that sometimes takes mental effort to start almost always feels great after the fact (and not just because it's over.) What a blessing a physical body is! I'm thankful for exercise.
8. Roses. Taking time to literally and figuratively smell the roses reminds me of the beauty that surrounds me. I'm thankful for this beautiful world, and for the benefit of taking time to notice.
"Remember" only has 8 letters, but never fear, I have two more items to share:
9. I'm thankful for making progress on to-do lists. When things around me feel out of control, it's nice to be able to control something. The garlic bulbs are planted, and I dug up more potatoes that I missed the first time. I'm thankful.
10. I'm thankful, as always, for John. We're a great team, and we can get through anything together.
Are you feeling anxious? Take the time to write your own Ten Things of Thankful list! I promise, you will feel better when you're done.
FYI: I am going to be taking a break from blogging for a while. I started blogging years ago when I felt the rather inexplicable pull to start a blog; now, I'm feeling the same pull now to take a break. I'm thankful for all of you who have read, commented, or otherwise encouraged me in this endeavor. I've made good friends through blogging, particularly through the Ten Things of Thankful blog hop. One of those friends is Dyanne. She will be taking over the hosting of the TToT. If you haven't met her yet, be sure to stop by and visit her blog, and feel free to link up each week with your own list of ten! I might be taking a break, but I will always be Thankful Me. :-)
Joining me this week:
Lots of wonderful ways to spell out gratitude! Keep in touch. We're family.
ReplyDeleteI will! I feel the same. :-)
DeleteDo you still have roses in bloom? It is kind of fun to discover another potato in the ground when you thought you got them all and even more fun to discover a potato plant already growing when you are in the process of planting some potatoes next spring.
ReplyDeleteLove # 3 an #4!
It's snowing today; I think the roses are done for the year. :-)
DeleteWhat a way to go out (temporarily!) with a bang! Beautiful list! I hope I can be 1/10 the host you have been!
ReplyDeleteI realized early on in hosting that I couldn't do a good job of being either Lizzi or Wendy, but I could be me. Just be 100% YOU! The hop will flourish! :-)
DeleteWonderful list, and please come by to visit sometimes, you will be sorely missed.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I will. It's going to be strange to take a break, but I also feel like it's time.
DeleteYour list is a very good reminder for all of us. I particularly like #8 :)
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your break and all that it brings.
Thank you. I'm kind of curious to see what the next phase is.
DeleteThank you for your hard work and patience with the daunting task of hosting the Ten Things of Thankful bloghop.
ReplyDeleteSurely there are few examples, here in the blogosphere, where one person's effort can be shown to have such a persistent positive ripple effect, i.e. hosting a Grat blog.
(After the initial enjoyment of a chore well-done and completed, we do expect updates (photos, please) of your on-going home projects.)
Pass along our thanks to John. Spouses play a critical, if not under-appreciated, role in the life of a blogger.
Thank you. I will definitely pass along thanks to John. He's a huge support, whether I decide to blog, or to take a break.
DeleteI imagine I will return to blogging eventually, and when I do, I'll be sure to do a photo-heavy post of home projects. (Our latest thought is to finish the basement into an apartment, but we're just at the gathering bids stage now.)
Hope you're doing alright while you're on blogging break.
ReplyDeleteI had a productive month reading for a read-a-thon, writing a few book reviews, checking in with hospitalized family members, and writing a WEP flash fiction.
Have you seen the notebook on the current (Aug 25) giveaway at Operation Awesome? That is some amazing custom art. Debut authors are always surprising me.
I'm ready for the summer heat to be over. 🥵