Friday Gratitude, My Weekly Meditation

Oh my goodness, did I leave this post to the last minute or what? I figured it would be better to write it now, at the end of my Friday, than this morning, or even yesterday, when I was in a much lower mood. So the first item on this week’s Friday Gratitude list is somewhat related to that.

1. I’m grateful that this week is ending so much better than it started. Talk about grumpy pants! That was me this week. Let’s also add in bored, cranky, fed up, listless, and completely blah. Of course, it all makes sense now that I know I can attribute it to hormones 🙂

2. I’m grateful for Trader Joe’s Orange Blossom Honey French Liquid Soap. I LOVE this scent so much. Can’t get enough! No sponsorship, no free products, nothing like that; I’m just sharing something I love 🙂 When we were down in North Carolina, our friend Whitney had it in her bathroom and I instantly knew I had to have it for my very own, and promptly bought my own bottle the next day.

3. I’m grateful for possibility, and the willingness to talk about my dreams. So what if we’re not sure when exactly certain things can happen? It feels so much better to talk about plans and opportunities and desires than to just ignore them and not even entertain the “What if”s, you know?

4. I’m grateful for blogging communities like SITS Girls and the Northeast Bloggers Network. Thank you so much to everyone involved in these supportive groups: for your compassion, generosity, kindness, help, reaching out, sharing, insight, and wisdom. I had no idea that communities for bloggers even existed before last year. You know how you always wonder How did people do x before the Internet? That’s how I feel about SITS, especially: How did bloggers  do it before such amazing community existed?

5. I’m grateful for the gift of words and language, the ability to impart knowledge and experience, and my ability to hear. Some people can’t hear. Some people can’t speak. Some people can’t see. Others can see but can’t read. Some people can’t put their thoughts and ideas into words, or have lost the ability to. I’m grateful for each of these things, for all those little gifts and abilities that we rely on for connection, yet undeniably take for granted.

 I’d love to hear what comes to mind when you think about gratitude: something that just happened today, something from this past week, maybe something you’re looking forward to in the coming weeks. A person, a meal, some flowers, a particular quote or movie or moment on your walk today? I’m all ears!

 

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Life will break you. Nobody can protect you from that, and living alone won’t either, for solitude will also break you with its yearning. You have to love. You have to feel. It is the reason you are here on earth. You are here to risk your heart. You are here to be swallowed up. And when it happens that you are broken, or betrayed, or left, or hurt, or death brushes near, let yourself sit by an apple tree and listen to the apples falling all around you in heaps, wasting their sweetness. Tell yourself you tasted as many as you could.     –Louise Erdrich

P.S! I’m over on Bloglovin, did you know? Let’s follow each other! xoxo