A Month of Gratitude #30--The End

I am grateful that I gave myself the challenge to write a post for every day of November to express that for which I am grateful. And I did it! Yea for me!!! And I didn't even dip into the shallow end of the pool and talk about things like chocolate, or Simon Baker, or YouTube. It really made me examine my life and ponder all of my blessings. Now, what will December bring?

A Month of Gratitude #29

I am grateful for the power of prayer; grateful for the knowledge that God is mindful of me; grateful to know that He will direct my path; grateful to know that my prayers will be heard and answered in God's own way and in God's own time.

A Month of Gratitude #28

I am grateful for things that make me laugh. My daughter, my husband, commercials, The Big Bang Theory, my friend Roy...all of these can elicit a hearty belly laugh on occasion. Laughter can ease a sad or tense situation. It can help healing. It makes things easier. Life is better with laughter.

A Month of Gratitude #27

I am grateful to be a citizen of the United States of America. "I'm proud to be an American..." Politics and problems aside, this is a great country, and I feel extremely blessed that I live here.

A Month of Gratitude #26

happy thanksgiving!

I am grateful that I live in this time and in this place of great abundance. When I see scenes of people in places less priviledged that this, I wonder how they would react to see our big grocery/mass merchandise stores like Meijer or Walmart and see all that food, all that stuff, all in one place. It is no wonder that people think Americans are rich. We are, I am richly blessed.

A Month of Gratitude #25

I am grateful for my calling in the church. To anyone who knows what it is, stop laughing! I mean it. First, I am grateful that there are people who even think I could do it and actually called me to the position. Second, I am grateful for the people with whom I serve. Finer people you will not find anywhere. Not even in Utah. (That was a joke, by the way. The Utah part, I mean.) Third, I am grateful that I am struggling along the best I can to get it done. It is rather all-encompassing. There is really not a time I can sit back and take a break because there is always something else to do and something else to plan for. Fourth, it is actually kind of fun sometimes. Whew.

A Month of Gratitude #24

I am grateful for internet shopping. Especially at this time of year. Sit down at the computer for an hour, a few days later, packages magically appear at your door. Shopping done. Is that great, or what? Not to say that I don't shop locally, because I do a lot of that, too. But for certain items, for certain people, internet shopping is the way to go. Especially if you can snag free shipping. Bonus!

A Month of Gratitude #23

I am grateful for our health insurance. It is the best coverage we have ever had. It rivals the best health insurance we had when we were teachers back when it wasn't a crime for teachers to have good health insurance. K is getting braces, mostly paid for by the insurance; we all get new glasses every year, mostly paid for by the insurance. It is excellent, and we don't take it for granted. Not one little bit.

A Month of Gratitude #22

I am grateful for the people in this community who are committed to make good music available for free, donations accepted (and encouraged, but still, free). There are two groups who come to mind whose musical offerings I have enjoyed over the last few years. They both provide wonderful musical experiences of top notch quality. And I love live music. I really love big music.

A Month of Gratitude #21

I am grateful for teachers. I have had many, many wonderful ones and really hardly any not so wonderful ones. I don't know when, I don't know how, but at some point between the time I graduated from high school and the time I finished my own first year of teaching, teachers became the bad guys. They get paid too much, their health insurance is too good, they only work six hours a day, they have three months off in the summer, they have too many days off during the school year, blah blah blah. Well, let me tell you what. As someone who actually did teach school for fifteen years, let me tell you, being a teacher is a difficult, isolating, mostly thankless job. And the better you are at it, the harder it is. A teacher is not just working when she/he is with students. There is the planning, the correcting and grading (oh my gosh, the correcting) and, in my case, the shopping. Anyone wonder why I'm not a teacher anymore? I wish that anyone who criticizes teachers on a wholesale basis had to do the job for a week. The real job.

This reminds me of something funny (true/funny) that I read in Gourmet magazine back when I was a teacher. The quote was, "I used to be a middle school music teacher, which had nothing to do with either teaching or music." Any teacher can relate. Especially those wonderful souls who do teach middle school.

Not only am I grateful for the teachers I had, I am also grateful to the excellent teachers who taught my daughter. I was, with very few exceptions, very impressed with those who taught her. Thank you!!!

A Month of Gratitude #20

I am grateful for good examples; those people who do things I want to do and do them well and those people who have characteristics I aspire to have. The world needs heroes, especially the quiet, kind ones who don't expect thanks or glory. I am thankful to these people, both real and imaginary (like those on the internet.) ;o)

A Month of Gratitude #19

I am grateful for good books. And the ability to read those books. I have always loved to read. I am thankful for all of those talented people who have written good books to educate, to enlighten, and to entertain.

A Month of Gratitude #18

I am grateful that I know how to sew. I has brought me much pleasure over the years. It is a great life skill to have, it is a great frugal skill to have, it is a great service skill to have. I would wager that I have done way more sewing for other people than I have for myself. And I always have more projects than time.

A Month of Gratitude #17

I am grateful that, although she is 1600 miles away from me, my daughter is getting to know my family and seeing how a functional family works. For example, my family gets together once a month for dinner, each taking turns hosting and bringing part of the meal. They have traditions for most, if not all of the holidays. They get together the Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving for Dessert Night (because they are always too full after Thanksgiving dinner to eat the desserts.) Is that cool or what?

A Month of Gratitude #16

I am grateful for music. It is a powerful influence in my life and the source of much enjoyment. Music can amplify feelings of joy and good will and spirituality. I always have a song in my heart. Well, at least in my mind.

A Month of Gratitude #15

I am grateful for the freedom to worship how, where, and what I may. I am grateful for the Church and the blessings my membership has brought to me.

A Month of Gratitude #14

I am grateful for the technology that allows me, even though we are separated by 1600 miles, to be able to talk to my daughter anytime, anywhere. It sure makes life a lot better.

A Month of Gratitude #13

I am grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ. I know it can work miracles and change hearts.

A Month of Gratitude #12

I am grateful for my sisters. I have two, both are younger. The sister just younger than me married much younger than I did and had children way before I did, so she is someone I have gone to for advice and counsel many times. My younger sister is, and always will be, the baby of the family. She is lots of fun to be around and keeps everyone on track. I regret living so far away from them, but I am glad that my daughter now lives near them and is getting to know them. (And they store her stuff in the summer when she come home!) At some point, I would really like to live closer to them.

Note: I also have a brother who is (much) older than I am :0) who I also love, but he isn't, you know, a sister.

A Month of Gratitude #11

I am grateful that I live in a time when there is the knowledge available to correct bad vision. Is it weird to even think about that? I think about it on occasion. I have worn glasses since I was in the third grade. It's not like I'm almost blind or anything, but my vision is bad. If I lived in a time when corrective eye glasses were not available, there are a lot of things I would have never been able to do. Or see. So I am grateful for my glasses!