Being Grateful

It’s easy to think of May as a month to honor mothers; however, there are those who were born to moms who did not want them, those they were estranged from, or mothers who’ve passed away. For these individuals, Mother’s Day can be a time…

The ability to be thankful for life’s ugliness as much as for what uplifts us is one lesson that I learned from certain characters which came to life via the talented imagination of Larry McMurtry. The author rode into his own Western sunset this past week at 84…

Several years ago, when I was living in Florida, I rented a beautiful condo on the river. The lanai overlooked the water, where I could see boats, kayaks, and all sorts of wildlife. My neighbors told me to watch for the dolphins that come around…

I had a biggish birthday recently. It wasn’t a milestone birthday, but rather – as one of the cards a friend sent me put it – “Somewhere between 29 and ‘none of your business’.” Because we are in lockdown here in the UK…

Did you know that writing gratitude lists boosts your mood and improves happiness? I sometimes forget this in my day-to-day grumblings about hangnails and hay fever, but today, I’ve dusted off my gratitude list. Firstly, I am grateful for my…

The tough times keep getting tougher, rougher, and more challenging. This past year, all our best intentions have been applied, discarded, salvaged, and rebirthed in a somewhat muted, less enthusiastic form. We survived 2020…

When we refuse to judge others, we express love and compassion. Love does not mean we become passive and allow others to abuse us. It is quite the contrary. Compassion is not weak but strong. It allows us to see where the suffering…

There’s a concept in psychology that can be readily summed up with, “Name it and claim it.” In a nutshell, it says that once you figure out the emotion that lies beneath your frustration, pain or anger, as in “name it,” you can then deal…

Traditionally, the holidays are a time of joy, of exuberance, of family get-togethers. However, it looks like the global pandemic will weigh heavy on this year’s holidays. If anything, restrictions are getting stricter for many, and joy is far…

When good things happen to us, we feel grateful. We’re thankful for our family, a comfortable home, caring friends, purposeful activities in retirement or paid employment, health, life in a free country, a pretty sunset, and more…