Thanksgiving Reflections

Thanks to zoom and cell phones, we could text, see family, and visit with family. We also received many texts from friends. I thought about the difficulties and positive experiences in my past. The fact that John and I get along so well still makes me appreciate everything my past has taught me. We had a good Thanksgiving even despite Covid-19. Friends dropped by with special treats during this past week or called with a surprise! We did sit about twelve feet apart and share one meal with a few local family members. It was a time of sharing and remembering thankfulness for all of us. Perhaps next year we can all be more grateful than ever for being “in person” with both family and/or friends. I won’t mind wearing a mask if we can be closer to visit!

During this entire Thanksgiving, I also thought of you, each reading this blog. I wanted to thank you for reading and sharing with me one or all of my blog postings. The life of this blog has already brought me so much joy. Of course, I am grateful for Boston, my stepson, for getting me started. He showed up to isolate with us at the perfect time for me to begin the blog. He set me up with my web page and encouraged me to begin. John, Boston, and I brainstormed all sorts of stories that I could share with you. I have not even gotten started on those. The best is yet to come. There are some hilarious ones. I finally began the blog I wanted to do for over five years. When I did begin, I became so grateful for each person who left me a comment. By reading and commenting, you encouraged me to keep going.

As I continued blogging, I began to notice changes within me. It was like my brain cells were waking up. I was pulling up names faster and able to remember situations that I had long forgotten. My ability to focus even improved. I was putting my life in order from memory, hoping that someday my grandchildren could read this blog and catch a glimpse of my life. While organizing and typing, it was so much fun because as I wrote, I could actually step into that scene in my past and see all involved faces. Before writing this blog, I was unsure that I could even recognize some of those mentioned if I passed them on the street.

Even if you do not want to do a public blog, consider doing a memoir or writing something where you put your life for someone else to read at a later date. You, too, will have brain cells open and you will feel years younger. I am serious! Think about this. Writing a daily journal might be another answer. That will help you write present-day information. Writing about your past to the present does something different. Even though it might be done very simply, I believe this exercise will open up brain cells you have not used in a long, long time. You will see your own difference.

As I looked back and wrote about the hard times that I thought I could not bear, I could see that those times did pass. As hard as those times were, what followed was more healing and gratifying than anything I could have imagined. Oh, it definitely took time, but I could see how miracles unfolded, and life became quite bearable again.

Always remember that favorite saying of mine. “Faith is the bird that sings when the dawn is still dark.” My blog showed me that faith was the strength of all of those struggles that I went through in my past. When I could not find my faith in the past, this blog helped me look back and see how faith existed. The healing and change I went through lead me to where I am now.

Today I believe that I have a strong foundation of faith that will guide me through my future in a good way. It does not mean that there won’t be difficult times. It does mean I will maintain “joy and gratitude within” during those times.

As I write this now, It is no longer “Faith is the bird that sings when the Dawn is still dark.” Instead, “Faith is the meadowlark that sings in the morning, signaling hope for bright and sunny days in my future.” Faith is something I used to call upon in the past when in despair. Now faith is something I call upon in my time of joy.

I have spoken and I am grateful for all of you! Please know it!

LESSON: Writing improves “thinking abilities.” This helps one focus, pull up words faster and remember names more easily.

GIFTS: I am writing again and have received so much joy. I see my past more clearly and am ready for all the gifts that will be coming in my future.

I see even more clearly how every loss brought gifts in my future. Thus, writing about both the positive and negative in a blog or a journal will help me remember to be grateful, have faith, hope, and always know God, my divine source, is so good.