FIVE GRATITUDES

[I'm repeating this post because I'm still in the throes of a dose of flu. Had one in December, now this one in January. And that's all for me, thank you very much. Hope you're well. Till we meet again, you can think about being grateful.]

Some time has passed since I expressed--in public, that is--my personal gratitudes. Every night I do so privately--giving thanks for people, activities, books, music, you-name-it. Today I want to share five different ways that Life gives me occasions to be grateful.

1--PEOPLE

Ask anybody--I am not a people person. "The more the merrier" has never been one of my goals in life, and if I said it, it had to be a slip of the tongue. There's a memorable Peanuts episode in which Linus says he'd like to be a doctor. His sister Lucy says, "You can't be a doctor. You have to love mankind." And Linus retorts, "I love mankind! It's people I can't stand!"

Now before you start off on the wrong foot and fall on your face, you have to understand that I'm not one of those who says I can't stand people. I like people--individuals with whom I can visit and come away feeling it's been a good encounter. People in large numbers? Unh-unh. Overwhelming.

My favorite people share some of the same traits--they enjoy life; they want to make things better for the less fortunate among us; they do interesting things--like make quilts or birdhouses, or teach others (all ages) how to do something. Naturally I'm drawn to people who like to do the same things I do--read, write, paint, cook, sew--but it's never about competition; we like to talk about what we do, appreciate each other's efforts, and share other things in our lives.

2--BOOKS

What have books done for me? They've taught me how to reason, to think, to figure things out. Yes, that includes the mysteries and the women's fiction that I still read.

I'm now halfway through the first Nancy Drew mystery. (Stay in the buggy--this is not a joke.) A few years ago my Kroger store had the first three ND books, and I think they were a dollar each, but don't quote me. I bought all three, thinking there'd be more to come, but alas, the first three were all they got, and the book/magazine section has now dwindled to one set of shelves squashed in between cards and seasonal stuff. Anyway--I was drawn to the Nancy Drew books because many decades ago I'd read most of them. And since that time, I've heard a number of mystery and romantic suspense writers say they got the bug to write because they read the Nancy Drew books when they were young. (I suppose guys read the Hardy Boys; my kids read both series.) I wanted to get reacquainted.

Books not only educate or entertain, they provide a place (sometimes a safe place) for the reader to go when things get too tough out here in the so-called real world. Ask any reader why he/she reads the same books again and again. You'll get different answers, but I'm willing to bet the farm one of them will be "to go to a place where I feel good."

3--FOOD

Goes without saying, we need food. I'm grateful for all levels of food:

  --plain old sustenance, nothing fancy, just tasty and plentiful

  --interesting dishes, probably new to me, especially from other cultures (the picture at the right is an Italian frittata)

  --gourmet goodies, because I will probably never make them myself

  --gluten-free foods, which have helped me enjoy many of my favorite things without unhealthy results

  --home-grown, home-cooked, reminding me of my growing-up years

  --recipes from my family, from my friends, from magazines, newspapers, cookbooks, and blogs

4--HELP

I may not be the most sociable person you'll ever meet, but neither am I a hermit. (Hermitess?) If I need help, I know how to ask for it; I am not shy about that, though I always remember my parents' rule: "Don't impose." However, I won't suffer unnecessarily just so I can follow a stricture that was important to my parents.

Sometimes help comes without my asking. A week ago my neighbor brought me a grocery shopping bag stuffed full of cleaned rhubarb from her little patch. "Do you like rhubarb?" I nearly fell down and kissed her feet. Do I like rhubarb? I love rhubarb. I adore rhubarb. Once we settled that and I had the bag safely inside my house, she said she'd give me some roots to start my own patch. After that came the offer of strawberry plants. She didn't offer to plant them for me, but I had a live-in gardener who did that for me.

Another example: For my birthday I received a hand-painted card from a friend at my church. We hadn't seen each other for quite a time (COVID, remember?), so I texted her to thank her for the beautiful painting. She said she's taken up painting now that her hands are less agile for playing the organ. My ears pricked up--painting? As in watercolor? Yes, indeed, she said. We now meet about once a month at her house for paint-and-chat time. We share our watercolor books and other resources (she's introduced me to some great artists on YouTube). 

5--COMMUNICATION

I'm not housebound for any reason other than my own resistance to going out in (1) hot/humid weather, (2) cold/damp weather, (3) rain/stormy weather, and/or (4) because I have a project going that needs constant attention, whatever the weather. (Quilts are usually in category #4.)

So, being a homebody (sounds so much better than housebound, right?), I can keep in touch in various ways:

  --least favorite, telephone; I prefer to see the person I'm talking to

  --next best if in-person isn't available, is text or email, for short communications

  --best for in-depth is the letter--hand-written if my fingers still work; typed if not

  --blog--pretty much one-way communication; I visit many blogs for information

  --Facebook provides me with photos, etc. from my family and friends; I don't spend much time with FB because it becomes an unending event; I've discovered my time is not infinite

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There you have it--five gratitudes that guide my life. Sometimes I focus on one and give it my full attention; other times, I find myself nodding and smiling while I'm in the throes of whatever it is and wherever I am, recognizing its value and giving thanks. Fleeting, but heartfelt.

If you made it this far, I hope you strayed into thoughts about your own reasons to be grateful. If you think you don't have any, or many, try writing them down. You'll surprise yourself.

Until next time,

Thursday's Child