It’s been a good day. Tonight I want to continue the theme of gratitude for simple things. It makes sense. Right now, there aren’t a lot of major things happening in my life that I can point to. It’s more a consistent group of smaller things that are the focus of my appreciation.
First, I continue to be gratified by the fact that people are reading these words. Some folks have read every day from the beginning and comment often, others have joined in more recently. What’s cool is that even if you’ve only read this once or once in a while, for a few minutes you’ve stopped to think about gratitude and to be grateful yourself for something or things in your life right now. Think about the multiplier effect–all the good energy that is generated when we stop and offer gratitude. Every Thursday night for the past eight weeks I’ve participated in a meditation group for people of color. We sit in meditation and then participate in a talk and discussion before going home. Talk about the multiplier effect–at least 50 people sit and for at least a portion of the meditation session we offer lovingkindness–wishes for peace, happiness, health, well-being, safety and ease–for ourselves and for our communities and for the world. If you add to those 50 the millions of people all over the world who are meditating, how powerful could that be? Wow! So thanks again to those of you who read this blog and think about the things you’re grateful for in your life. Let’s keep it going!
I am also so appreciative to have many good people in my life. Today I talked to a close former work colleague who offered me advice and assistance in a number of key aspects of my job search. It was good catching up with her, hearing how things are going for her and how life has changed since I worked for the organization. I was grateful to have the benefit of her counsel and will follow up on a couple of promising job leads she offered. I was also reminded about how important it is for me to talk about my work. Being unemployed and job searching can be a little isolating. It’s nice to be able to shake the dust off my work brain and realize that I’m still articulate and retain a number of solid skills. That was a very good thing. A little later in the day I talked to my best friend from college. It was one of our regular check-ins: it had been a few weeks since we’d spoken and were overdue. Talking with an old friend is like wearing a comfortable old pair of jeans–you can just be yourself and not worry about if they make your butt look too big.
I took my afternoon walk around the Park with my friend Mary. It was yet another perfect Bay area day and a good time to visit with my friend. Unlike my periodic contact with my best friend Pat, I hang out with Mary at least once per week. During the past four months, I’ve come to rely on those weekly chats as a means of staying connected to the world. Particularly early on when I was still struggling mightily with sadness and depression, having that regular contact with a friend was like a buoy that kept me afloat when I might otherwise have gone under. I do not take that friendship for granted–it is a blessing for which I am exceedingly grateful.
Even as I am about to take my rest for the night I will offer my gratitude for simple, wonderful things. Yep, it’s been a good day.
One Response to Lessons in Gratitude Day 71