A Year Later

This is my 366th post which is a leap year of posts on living a life of gratitude. There are so many things I have learned about gracious living this past year. One is that I am very human. Every time I think I have a handle on being gracious and grateful for who I am and what I have in my life, I find myself getting sucked back into behavior I thought I had shed. I am going to go back and practice some of my previous grateful living activities, maybe come up with new insights, new ideas and activities to carry me further along on my journey to living a life of gratitude. I have grown tremendously this past year and I am a happier, more grateful person.

Here are activities that have been the most meaningful for me:
Intentionally smiling at people daily. Greeting people with Good Morning, How are You etc. daily. Waking up each morning and saying and naming at least 10 things I am grateful for. Flipping my negatives into positives. What I mean is looking at the positive even in negative situations. Paying at least 3 people compliments each day. Saying thank you when someone compliments me. Wearing rose colored glasses. Visualizing how I want my day to go. Loving and enjoying my family and telling them how much I love them and enjoy them. Forgiving and letting go. Listening to others use appreciative speech. Focus on the positive things people do for me. Living my life according to my values and goals. Being grateful for who I am and what I have.

Being grateful is coming more naturally to me and for that I am blessed.

Paying For College, Oh My

It's that time again for me. My 3rd and youngest child is getting her undergraduate offers of financial aid. Next year I will have 2 in college. Plus my oldest daughter will be returning to graduate school in a 5 year program. Will I be able to help her? I know she isn't expecting help, but still. I'm feeling the pressure of how will I pay for college. Do I need to get a new job? A third job? But, I'm going to use my own advice. I need to feel the joy of helping them with their college expenses. I need to be joyful that my money has been used to help my children experience college and all that it brings. Paying for college will work out as it has so far. I need to stop worrying about it and instead put a plan in place for college payment, since this will help me move into my comfort zone. I need to be grateful for what I've been able to do so far and be grateful for whatever I will be able to do going forward.

Feel the joy of giving my children a college education. Let go of the worry of continuing to pay for college and instead, work on a plan to help as I can. Feel the blessing of being able to give what I can give and know that it is appreciated.

The Feel Of Spring

My favorite touch sensation in spring is the welcoming, warm spring air against my skin and the feel of the warm breeze blowing in through an open window. I also enjoy the way the cool earth feels in my hands as I work the soil. I love the feel of the soft, new growth on the bushes and trees in my yard. It also is great to feel a light jacket on after months of wearing heavy, bulky coats. I love the warm spring days.


There is so much to be thankful for everyday. I am grateful to have taken the time to recall the sights, sounds, feel, smells, and taste of spring. This is a glorious season with the awakening of vegetation, baby animals arrival and the anticipation of longer days to enjoy the warmth of spring.

Hearing Spring

Some of my favorite spring sounds include children's laughter as they run through rain puddles, jump rope and play hopscotch. I love listening to the sound of children honking their bicycle horns, robins singing, and blue jays cackling their territorial song. Another favorite is the whack of a ball as it makes contact with a bat and the cheers from the fans in the stands. Now that's springtime.

I will record the sounds of spring will be recorded in my gratitude journal.

Spring Scents

There is nothing so sweet smelling to me as the very, fragrant smell of a hyacinth, and lets not forget the fragrance of a lilac in bloom. The smell of sweetness coming from a candy filled Easter basket has my mouth watering.

I will write in my gratitude journal all the wonderful smells associated with spring. I hope to add to it throughout the season.

The Taste of Spring

What can be better than the taste of freshly picked, spring vegetables of asparagus, spinach, lettuce, and peas? Then there is my all time favorite of jelly beans and chocolate Easter eggs. Of course, a hard cooked, decorated Easter egg is delicious also. Finally, a childhood favorite taste of mine is the warm, sweet April showers caught on my tongue. Can you taste spring in the air?

I will record in my gratitude journal all the tastes of spring I am thankful for.

Spring's Awakening

I am grateful and hopeful for all that spring brings. I am especially grateful for the 5 senses of spring. The sights of spring start for me, when the purple, yellow and white crocus pop open. Accompanying the crocus are the buds on the bushes and trees, the yellow daffodils, and the forsythia in bloom. The lime colored new growth on the awakening deciduous trees is a beautiful sight. Then in the heart of spring, the rhododendrons, weeping cherries, plum, peach and dogwood trees fill the neighborhoods with glorious color. I love flowers and am getting carried away with all the flowering sights, but I also enjoy the sight of light jackets and short sleeved shirts, open windows and people driving top down in their convertibles. There are so many enjoyable sights of spring.

In my gratitude journal, I will awaken my spring longings by writing about the glorious sights of spring.