Every action—every breath
In all my repentance
In all my good.
Define my life
In every friend
In every joy restored
In all the happy times
In all the light regained.
Define my life with love and hope.
Define my life with eternity—with charity.
Gratitude Month 2025: Writing
Every time someone reads one of my poems and tells me how my writing touched them or helped them understand something special or understand life a little more, I am thankful for being able to write what comes to my mind. It takes an education to know how to write and creativity to put words onto the page in a way that others would want to read it. I am grateful to have had such inspiring teachers and friends and life experiences to have the ability and material to write. Jokes are made that you need to watch out when you are friends or family with a writer because you could end up in one of their books, and that is so true. Most of the time, in my case, it is because of being inspired by my friends and family, but it could easily go the other way. Just kidding. Kind of.
I am grateful I carved out the time to reflect on what I am grateful for and wrote it all down, so I can remember these days and capture these moments in time that are truly fleeting. I hope that I will bring joy and thoughtfulness to all who read my words. I want so much for my writing to reach anyone who it might help to feel seen.
I am grateful you took the time to read my writing. It means so much to me.
Gratitude Month 2025: Genuine Friends
Lately, like for a few/several years, I have had a consistent conveyor belt of physical traumas and health issues, and I just went through one of the toughest tests (I had to be awake and participate in it to do the testing), and I sent out texts to various friends asking for their prayers, and so many of them responded to me with such support. I just knew I could count on them, so even though I had only heard back from two people by the time I had to begin the test and could not read any of the texts, I knew that every buzz of my phone was filled with encouraging, faith-filled words to keep me going. I struggled so much in that test, but I cannot imagine how it would have gone had I not the faith and confidence of my friends helping me along. This example is one of many over the years that I have been alive. God has sent me friends for a moment and friends for a lifetime to keep me going. I consider these friends miracles as I face so much solitude and require great amounts of courage to face some of the things I have to go through alone. I am grateful every day for the texts, calls, visits, time spent, and all that love I am given.
Gratitude Month 2025: Fresh Water
I seem to contemplate the blessing of fresh water each year—and write about it—but I am grateful for it every year, even every day. What a good life it is when you have fresh water on tap inside your own home to take showers and drink straight from the tap if you want. Being able to be clean and healthy should never be taken for granted, and I hope I never take fresh, clean, running water for granted because that is what affords good health and cleanliness. As Thanksgiving was just yesterday, I was hyper aware of all the times I ran my dishwasher, started up more laundry, and washed so many dishes, and all was done with great ease and without limits. I am grateful to have such access to a life essential. I pray that those in the world without fresh water will be reached and given help to gain access.
Gratitude Month 2025: The Brave Ancestors
In my research on my family tree, I have learned that many people in my family line took the chance and came to America in the 1600s and 1700s, helping to forge these United States of America. I look at my life and all the freedom and opportunity that I enjoy, and I am in awe of what they gave to me. And it is not only my ancestors but all the goodhearted people who were brave to try a new land across the Atlantic and make their way. So many people lost their lives in the earliest days of this American experiment, and so many children did not make it. When I consider all the sacrifice, I can hardly fathom what it would take to do what they did. I also have family in my line who kept coming over in the 1800s, and I even have one great grandfather who immigrated from Wales in the 1900s. It takes my breath away to think of how they all left their homeland to come here, so I could be who I am now. All their heritage and grit and faith and hope all resting on my shoulders to help me keep going. I am thankful for all the people in my family tree and every single contributor to helping Americans have what we have today. I pray today and every day for our country to be safe and free and strong.
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