An Attitude of Gratitude

Me and my girl, Penelope Katherine.

January 2018 has given us a gamut of things already, hasn’t it? Zero to sixty degrees within the range of a week or two, a flu epidemic, and all kinds of flooding and wild weather. It seems as though we are into the new year with quite a bang. 

In the midst of all that, I managed to write three chapters of my next book. (yay!) I’ve had a lingering sinus cold but I loved my usual time with Penny and my mom. I try to practice good self-care (something I’m not always great at), like getting enough rest and drinking plenty of herbal tea with Jim’s delicious honey.

Penny turned two years old this past week. I keep looking at her and thinking Where has the time gone? It seems like only yesterday I was trekking to Pittsburgh to meet her for the first time. Today she’s a bright, active, social, loving child.

Lately, I have been thanking God all day long and especially when I am in one certain place. When I get into bed at night, with my warm flannel sheets,  homemade quilt, and fluffy pillows, an overwhelming feeling of gratitude comes over me. I know how blessed and fortunate I am. There are times when I think of my grandparents. They came over on the boat from Greece, in the 1920’s through Ellis Island, with the thoughts of making a better life for themselves.

Two generations later and we have that better life. My grandparents lived on very little and used the teachings and traditions that had been handed down to them. It was reflected in the food they prepared, the gardens they planted, and the hospitality in the little store that my grandparents owned. Neither of my grandparents spoke English when they came here. My own mother had to learn English to go to school. Greek was her primary language and she still speaks it fluently.

Me in my yiayia’s store when I was a little girl.

How often do we stop and think about the things we have? If we are blessed to have good jobs, food on our tables, a warm house, and money to pay our bills, that is something many do not have. If we donate to charities or volunteer for them, that is a way of showing gratitude. To be involved in something wonderful, outside of ourselves, is a precious way to give thanks.

I hope you take the time today (and every day) to be thankful.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.  2 Corinthians 9:15

 

It's nice to share. Thank you.

15 Replies to “An Attitude of Gratitude”

  1. Thank you for sharing! I have always known you to be humble and grateful for all you have. You are an amazing woman with lots of drive to make this world a better place for future generations. And also to help others, whether they have ‘more’ than you or ‘less’ than you. We are all equal in your eyes. I miss having a neighbor like you…

    1. Aw, I miss you too. Wish you were here with us in PA. Thank you for the beautiful words. I love how you unselfishly give yourself to your grandchildren. You are an amazing woman. xoxo

  2. Hi Joanne, Thank you for sharing such an inspiring post! I love your reminder to us “to be involved in something wonderful outside of ourselves!” It is beautiful how you give of yourself unselfishly to your family and friends and how you appreciate the simple things that life has to offer I admire that!! What beautiful words your friend Cathy spoke about you ❤ You walk the talk

    1. Hi Cindy, We are all in this together. It’s like my favorite author Anne Lamont says, We are all trying to help each other home. So true. Thank you for your encouragement and love. I truly appreciate it. Xo

  3. I know exactly what you mean about bedtime gratitude. I’ve neen talking with my 9 year old lately about all I’m thankful for and last night she said she was grateful for our house. It stuck with her, that idea that she has so much and not everyone is born into the same. It’s a lifelong lesson how to put it to good use. Penny is adorable. It’s apparent in photos and posts how much you adore each other. Love the photo and story here too of your grandparents and mother.

    1. Thank you. I love that you are teaching your child about gratitude at a young age. There’s more awareness of this now than when I was raising my children. I love it. Thanks for your great post too. You really should write a book! Any thoughts of this?

      1. That was another thing I forgot to mention in my comment – I love that you’re working on your next book! I would love pick your brain sometime about the process and any advice you have to give.

  4. Oh I just love your blog post. At the end of the day, I too, love that feeling of snuggling down into a fluffy, big bed and take time to be truly grateful. Deep breath of pure goodness.

    I love that you remember to appreciate and gently remind us to do the same.
    Hugs,
    D
    ps. Aren’t grands the best?????

  5. Your granddaughter is very cute, Joanne. Congrats with starting your next book and yes, having gratitude is the best thing we can do for ourselves and others.

    Blessings,
    Marianne xo

Leave a Reply to Joanne CainCancel reply

Verified by ExactMetrics