I am grateful for everyone who reads this blog on a regular, periodic or semi-occasional basis. Sometimes I hear from people whom I had no idea were reading this. They report that they benefit a lot from these daily musings. That gladdens my heart and gives me the energy to keep writing when I don’t feel like it. I post a link to this blog on my Facebook page–it’s the only way I “advertise” it. Some of my Facebook “friends” are people whom I have never met except through some of the games I play. I call them my “game friends” and I thought they could only access limited aspects of my page, but apparently they get the status updates on which I post this blog. And darned if they aren’t reading it. Thank you!
One of the things I plan on doing over the next few weeks is to invite some of you readers of Lessons in Gratitude to write some of your own reflections as “guest” bloggers. If you have been inspired to think more about the things you’re grateful to have in your lives, I welcome you to write some thoughts or comments. It doesn’t need to be an entire blog–it need not be longer than a few sentences if you feel inclined to share. I know that at least a few readers are willing to write a few paragraphs as I do each night, while others might choose to contribute in a smaller way. What’s important to me is that you feel that this is a welcome space for you to share a few moments of gratitude with me and the other faithful followers of this blog. If you want to contribute, email me your reflections at mtchamblee@walkinyourpower.com. I’ll post it in an upcoming blog. Whether you choose to share, I thank you for your continued reading and hope you are finding your own ways of practicing gratitude.
I am also grateful this evening for reconnecting with an old friend and coworker this morning. He’s out here from Michigan attending a conference. I hadn’t spoken to him in a number of years, and except for the occasional two-sentence exchanges on Facebook and the occasional email, I hadn’t caught up with him. It was good hearing about his life, what he’s been up to, what he hopes to do next. We laughed and reminisced about many of the people we’d worked with and where they were and what they doing now. He also shared with me some of his concerns and life challenges and I was able to do the same. We both congratulated one another for our ability to stand strong in the face of difficulties and encouraged one another to continue to be strong.
Friends can be such an important resource, I am exceedingly grateful that through difficult times over the past few years I have been able to reach out to various friends and they reach back. I have long known how to be a friend, it can be a lot harder to let someone be a friend to me. I am grateful that I have learned to open up and let people in more easily than I used to and that I now reach out more often and ask for help than before. It goes back to learning how to receive from others rather than to primarily be a giver, and rather than this being embarrassing or shame-inducing, it is a sign of strength and clarity of mind to know what one needs and to ask for it. I still have a ways to go in this department, but am learning every day.
It was great visiting with my friend today. I don’t plan on letting a lot of time go by without checking back in and keeping up with him. Increasingly I find myself unwilling to lose track of people. I have friends scattered in various parts of the country. They are in my heart, my thoughts and my prayers more than they can imagine. Maybe I’ll send some of them a little note and let them know that and how grateful I am to have them in my life. And I need to get on the phone and check in with my siblings to let them know I am thinking about them as well. Yes, they are constantly in my thoughts, but unless they’re mind readers they won’t know that. It reminds me of the line from a James Taylor song, “Shower the people you love with love, show them the way that you feel. Things are going to be much better if you only will.” I think I will!
