Top 10 Uncommon Blessings

On the eve of Thanksgiving, like many people, I find myself in a reflective mood, as I recount all of the people, things, opportunities, etc. that I have been grateful for during this past year.  While I am most grateful for my two extraordinary daughters, my amazing friends and family, my excellent health, and a host of other blessings that hold a permanent place on my gratitude list, I want to take this opportunity to recall some of the blessings that are easy to overlook sometimes.  In no certain order, here are my Top 10 Uncommon Blessings for 2013:

1. Lily and Jane, the awesome baristas at Please & Thank You, who start many of my weekday mornings with hot ginger tea, warm smiles, and pleasant conversation waiting for me, all before 7:00 a.m.!
2. The smooth compliments that some of the men at the day shelter for homeless men where I work pay me each day.  Our guys have got game, which I sorely lack, so, it is sweet and endearing when they bust out their mad skills for me.  They are definitely my demographic!
3. The hot ginger tea, which I referenced in #1.  It has become my newest obsession, as I absolutely love its distinct flavor and aroma.
4. Great seats to some of my favorite concerts.  Although I have been in somewhat of a musical rut this year, as far as seeing live music, I am thrilled to have seen Jason Aldean, Rush, and Blake Shelton this year.  I am hoping that this lull in going to concerts is the calm before the storm and that 2014 brings more shows to experience.
5. A text from my special friend that brought an end to a three-month period of no contact following a fight we had to end 2012 on a sour note.  I didn’t think that we would have any contact with one another ever again, much less repair our friendship, but I have never been happier to be wrong about someone or something in my entire life.
6. Having the opportunity to spend time with my two dear friends, Mary and Donna, laughing, eating, drinking, talking, and exploring parts of Washington, D.C. and Massachusetts and dreaming of trips to Las Vegas and Hawaii.  I am smiling big time just thinking about our time together.
7. Being in the presence of my mentor and friend, Trude, who shares Native American rituals and teachings, her own life experiences, and her irreverent sense of humor to walk with me on my journey and to help me to heal and to grow.
8. Time alone in my own home.  As social as I am and as much as I miss having my daughters here with me all of the time, I have learned to revel in the solitude and silence of my home, and I now crave it when life gets too busy and noisy.  This is truly my sanctuary.
9. Satellite radio.  Every time I turn it on, I have the musical world at my finger tips, and there is no such thing as not being able to find a good song to listen to any more.  My girls jokingly refer to the receiver as my “baby”, and I find that to be appropriate, as I love it!
10. Every single challenge, heartache, disappointment, loss, setback, and failure that I experienced this past year, as they paved the way for opportunities to grow, change, learn, heal, love, and move forward in my life.  I wouldn’t change a thing.

Happy Thanksgiving, and here’s to focusing on everything we have to be grateful for every day of the year!

That’s another story . . .

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‹ Wake Me Up When December Ends

Starting Over: An Opportunity or An Excuse? ›

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Categories: That's Another Story

Tags: appreciation, attitude of gratitude, blessings, grateful, gratitude, thank you, thankful, Thanksgiving, that's another story, Uncommon Blessings