Gratitude ala Taking stock

In the US we just celebrated Thanksgiving, a traditional day to give thanks. I wanted to do something a bit different than “thanks to my friends and family” (which I do give thanks for).

The “taking stock” blog approach uses a one word or one letter prompt approach for creating a blog post.  You are supposed to write down the first thing that comes to mind. It’s a helpful tool for when you’re struggling with what to write for a blog post; it also provides a great point in time perspective on where life is at.  I’ve recently used this approach using the letters in October (blog link here) and am using a similar approach again, using the letters in the word Gratitude for a slightly different Thanksgiving Thanks post:

• Gift of friendship. While December is usually the gift-thinking month, what came to mind for the G of gratitude was how thankful I am for all the friendships I have. They have been a major gift to me this year. I still think back with huge thankfulness to all those who helped us in the early days of our hurricane disaster (over a year ago now). I truly do not know how we would have gotten through those days without so many people stepping in to help in so many ways. But the gift of friendship goes beyond that crisis. I am so very thankful for the gift of friendship from my L-ladies who lift me up when I go down and teach me new things. For D&B planning a girl’s getaway. For DB who listens to my rants (and vice versa) and settles me down. For all my blog-reading friends who boost me up, cheer me on, and provide me with amazing perspective. I am blessed with the gift of friendship from so many.
• Resilience. Despite the delays, the uglies, and the stupidity, (link to some of that here) I recognize the resilience that I’ve been blessed with this year. I choose Patience as my WOTY (Word of the Year,) but I’m thinking it should have been Resilience.  While patience is the ability to remain calm and tolerate the delays, resilience is the capacity to bounce back from adversity and recover from setbacks, viewing the delays, uglies, and stupidities as part of the journey rather than a final outcome. My patience has been tested, but my resilience has won the day as I look forward to the end of the journey. With the start of the build, I know there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
• ART. No, not the art of my craft dabbling. This ART is Accelerated Resolution Therapy, a short-term psychotherapy that uses eye movements and imagery to help people change how distressing memories are stored in the brain, reducing emotional and physical distress. My sessions have really helped me process the trauma of the hurricane as well as some of the underlying (longer term) traumas it triggered. I am grateful that my friend group included someone who lead me to this therapy.
• Tim.  I don’t often mention hubby’s name in my blog posts (have I ever?), but the T in gratitude screamed his name. His support, both emotional and physical, this year has kept me upright and resilient. Yes, he too is dealing with the trauma of the hurricanes and the loss of so much stuff.  And since stuff is his middle name, it’s even more traumatic for him. I really do not know how I would have survived this year without his quiet strength.
• Intelligence. I am grateful that I have the skill set that comes from being a strong, intelligent woman. I rarely boast of my skills, but successfully working through everything this year (insurances, contracts, a grant, a loan, reimbursements, plan designs, re-loops) required intelligence, detail focus, critical thinking, and perseverance. Yes, it has taken longer than I hoped to be at the point we are, but I am also realizing we are ahead of many others who are dealing with the aftermath of the hurricanes, because of that critical thinking, detail focus, and perseverance.
• Time. The other day a friend shared the quote, “it’s about enjoying the passage of time” and it shifted my way of thinking about time. I am working to be grateful for each and every day, as I think about a dear friend who is facing her limited future days. I am trying to not “put this off until”, which is a challenge as I await full house recovery. I am trying to appreciate the do-nothing days (and not feel guilty) and accept the too-much days (and work to reduce them going forward).
• Unique. Although I try (not always successfully) to avoid the reels, I still scroll Facebook each morning looking for inspirational quotes. The other day gave me the U in gratitude!  I read about accepting my own unique path and my own unique way of being, including my set of talents and quirks. Being grateful for who I uniquely am is new to me.
• Drumming. I am so grateful I found cardio drumming 3 years ago now as it continues to provide me with moments of joy each week. I push my body, raising my heart rate and lift my arms and legs, building muscle. I sweat, I move, I sing along, and I smile. A class always makes me smile.
• Eric. I am grateful for our General Contractor, Eric, who is calm and meticulous.  While I might complain about the delays, his catching things early (because things do happen) will prevent bigger issues later on. He brings practical solutions to the table with every problem encountered. I know our house will be built “right.”

So, there’s my non-traditional gratitude list and a point-in-time snapshot of my life. The picture in the header is this week’s house progress (basically fill dirt) – not as much progress as I hoped as the holiday disrupted the flow. We are waiting on the plumber (water and sewer lines), then foundation will be poured. I’m hopeful all the crews will be well-rested and ready to go on Monday!

Wishing you all the joy of this upcoming holiday season, however you may celebrate.

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