Category Archives: Gratitude

Gratitude

What a Year

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I learned people from Croatia are not good at hide and go seek
I learned people from Croatia are not good at hide and go seek

This is the end of the Super Gratitude Project on my website, it has been 31 days of nonstop gratitude.  I have looked for things to be grateful about and fortunately it hasn’t been all that hard.  For the final day I decided to express my gratitude for the entire year and all of the people I met. They changed my life!

Not the experience I expected

I learned people from Ireland drink and swear a lot!
I learned people from Ireland drink and swear a lot!

If you had told me a year ago that much of the following year would be spent helping to organize and promote a summer camp, I would have thought you were on drugs or crazy or both.  Yet here I am after a summer of learning at the Maine Golf and Tennis Academy.  Here is what I am grateful for in this experience.

First for the wide range of experiences I was able to have, from hiring people and crafting a staff I hoped would be great, to seeing that staff come into existence and watching them grow, struggle and ultimately succeed by any form of measurement.  There were also other organizational tasks I did not like.  There was a required meeting every morning at 7:15.  I am grateful I will never have to attend one again.   But overall the experience in helping to run the camp was a great learning experience.

I learned people from England, don't work well with rodents of any sort.
I learned people from England, don’t work well with rodents of any sort.

The most important thing I am grateful for though, it all of the great people that have entered my life this year.  I have become friends with people from England, Australia, Ireland, and even Hungary.  It was a true blessing to work with and build relationships with such great people.  Each has contributed to my understanding of life and other people and for that I am truly grateful.  Even though they are all gone home now, back to work, college and their “normal” lives, I think of them often.  I think many would be surprised of the impact they had on me, even if they were there for a short time.

 

Future is so Bright

I also met the next Tiger Woods. His name is Alejandro and this image is going to be something ten years from now!
I also met the next Tiger Woods. His name is Alejandro and this image is going to be something ten years from now!

I have to be grateful for this year because of what it has given me for the future.  I have developed an almost wanderlust to travel to different places in the country and across the world.  One of my friends at camp told me that I should, move to Germany and live there for a year.  Even though I don’t think I am ready for that yet, I now see it as an actual possibility in my life.  I owe this new vision of what life can be to all of the people I met this year.  I can only hope that the next year is filled with as many interesting characters.

I am truly blessed with friendship and experience and am grateful for it.

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Gratitude

Family First

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quotes-and-images-family-love-family-quotes-24132It is Day 30 of the Super Gratitude Challenge which means, only one more day to go.  Today I am going write about how grateful I am for the experience of having a great family.  Not everything in my life was perfect but there are a lot of things to be grateful for and I want to share just a few.

My Grandparents

I was fortunate to have a relationship with all of my grandparents, which was unique and I treasure.  I also had the great good fortune of knowing all but one of my great grandparents as  well.  This extended family connection allowed me to be spoiled and feel like I was the center of a lot of people’s lives.

This picture, four generations of Hilton's, taken in early 1970's. My father, grandfather and great grandfather in the back. My brothers and myself in the front. Guess which one is me.
This picture, four generations of Hilton’s, taken in early 1970’s. My father, grandfather and great grandfather in the back. My brothers and myself in the front. Guess which one is me.

There were so many things that I was taught by these people, from how to behave myself and be polite when company came to the value of honesty and doing what you say.   The greatest gift that each of them gave me in a different way was to tell me that to them, I was special and had the potential to do about anything.  One by one, they passed away over the years and are all gone now, but their lessons live on in my heart and will for my life.

The Parents

Like most people in adulthood, we look at our parents with a knowing understanding.  They were never going to be perfect, and Jimjoannejeffjonmy parents weren’t.  But they did give me a safe and happy childhood. I was never abused, or neglected and felt again like my life mattered significantly to them.  It still does today.

My father was a school teacher and coach and shared a love of sports with me and my siblings that still exists today.  It is a way that we can relate to each other.   My mother is a minister and she is still preaching every Sunday.  Even though I don’t agree with her religious beliefs, she doesn’t push them on me.  She is a thinker and writes and well, so do I.  I got great gifts from each of them.

Sibling Appreciation

Well these people are the ones who have shared the common experience of JonathanJeffreyswinggrowing up.  There aren’t many people who really know what that means, but they each do.

All relationships are formed over a common experience, school, work, a hobby or your family life and siblings are the ones who really know who you are.  I am grateful for  the experiences of childhood, even though they involved a lot of arguing and many disagreements, there were a lot of shared moments of special times that even today are fondly remembered.  I was one of four and that in itself made me part of a unique group.  All of my family have first names that begin with the letter J.

So there it is, on Day 30 of this gratitude challenge I am thankful for all of my family members, those who have passed on and those that are still around.

;

Gratitude

Thank You Great Story Tellers

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ithinkthereforeiblog I have been fortunate enough to fall into this strange little world and it has truly been a wonderful rabbit hole experience. There are thousands of people out there writing their thoughts, hoping to connect with others in a more meaningful way. These connections have helped me become a more comprehensive thinker and a more dynamic writer.  There is no questioning that this experience has helped form my personal growth.

No Idea What I am Doing

It was several years ago that I first realized that there was a community of people who spent their time writing and diligently posting on their blogs each day. Providing know how thoughts and even motivation to the general population at large.  I remember feeling like Alice in Wonderland, stepping into a new world I didn’t know existed.   I had written on my website for a time, but really just did it for me, to express my feelings and thoughts.  Who else would want to hear them?  It must have been time to share.

The First Blogger got me Hooked

I had stumbled into this world because I installed Zemanta onto my site.  It’s a program that makes adding articles from other people to the end of your blog easy.  I actually got a note from one Raraof the people I had pinged back.  When I looked at their site, there was a green little dinosaur gravatar I couldn’t help clicking on.  It was called Rarasaur and it was one of the best blogs I ever saw.  It was there I left my first tentative comment and was blown away that I got a thoughtful response.  It was awesome and started me searching deeper into the world of blogs.

Mysteries Abound

One of my most naive thoughts was the everyone who blogged seemed to have developed interesting monikers and identities that symbolized who they were and what they meant.  It was too late for me at that point, I had already built my site years before. My name was no mystery, and I often wondered if I should start over with a secret identity.  I often wonder about the lives of the bloggers I read.  Do they have problems like me? How often does writer’s block affect them?  What are they grateful for? What motivates them?

Bloggers I Love to Read

There really are so many that to make a list would short change somebody but I am going to list five excluding Rara because she clearly is a favorite and should be read.  Many of these people I first read because they guest posted on her blog.

Mr. Tookles

This blogger from Holland is one of my favorite people in the world. She is a fantastic word artist and says more using fewer words than I could imagine possible.  We share a love of bacon and have a mutual hope that life is going to show us what we are supposed to do.  Don’t mess with her though, because she will hit you on the head with a frying pan. (her threat) Seriously, funny, intelligent and so very creative, she is one of my favorite people in the whole wide world.  Follow her and see what amazing things she creates.

matticus_Matticus-

He writes on his blog each day like it is a mission. I am often in awe of the number of posts he makes and the quality. He loves movies and movie dialogue and each Friday he leaves a post about it.  He has a great sense of humor, but his best quality to me is the friendship and feedback he has shared with me on my work.  He is a relatively new Dad, and with a young family I wonder how he finds the time, but I am glad he does.   Reading his blog is a trip to an enchanted land, I encourage you to make the trip.

sass_and_balderdashSass and Balderdash

Written by the witty, sarcastic and sometimes inappropriate Katie, this website has never met a topic it wouldn’t address.  Katie is funny and makes me laugh and usually think. I think she writes more to women than men, but I have honestly learned more about how women think about everything from shoes to working out in the gym.  This blog is one that I try to read every day because it is worth it, if you like intelligent, witty observations about life then this is the blog for you. Katie is awesome even though she lives in Chicago, which is known for…………wind.

camel_lifeThe Camel Life

This is a relatively new blog on my must-read list but Breezy K who writes this blog has won me over recently by writing on a regular basis and talking about her “dynamic” life in Canada.  She writes with a lot of funny images, but deep down her topics are interesting and even though she is from Nova Scotia, I think that it is very close to my experience in living in Maine.  She is funny, insightful and definitely doesn’t take herself very seriously.  The reason I feel this is a must read blog, is that it just entertains me. From the “witty” way she plays on words, to the perspective of diet and exercise. I always learn something and most often laugh as well.

tranquil_dreamsTranquil Dreams

This is kind of unfair because Kim who writes this blog is one of my favorite people.  She visited Maine this summer and I met her and her boyfriend and we had a lovely time.  Her blog is a combination of reviews, recipes, and thoughts but what wins me over is that Kim has always been so nice and supportive of me.  She leaves positive and supportive comments, and I like that.   This blog is well worth checking out and reading.

There are of course many other blogs and bloggers I love to read and learn from each and every day. I am certainly grateful to experience all that you do each day! Thank you for being so wonderful.

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  • Gratitude
Gratitude

That’s Where I Come From

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Today I am expressing my gratitude for Growing up in Greenville, Maine.  There have been few influences on my life greater than this.  The foundation of who I am today was built on the streets, in the school, in my home and with the people I shared the experience with.

S

Winter is a long season in Greenville, it makes you tough. and you really like spring! the Katahdin is a iconic boat that cruises Moosehead Lake, and of course an image of Mt. Kineo. All images of home.
Winter is a long season in Greenville, it makes you tough and you really like spring! the Katahdin is an iconic boat that cruises Moosehead Lake, and of course an image of Mt. Kineo. All images of my youth and this wonderful place.

Small Town To Say the Least, Greenville, Maine

Greenville was and is a very small town, but it was the only town I knew as home as a child. There are two sides of the coin when you

My brother and I actually playing outside. That is what it looks like.
My brother and I actually playing outside. That is what it looks like.

live in a small town.  On one side people are supportive of you in all that you do.  On the other side, it is difficult to live your life without having everyone know your business.

That is the fate of a small town, for me, those issues were never a factor because I loved living there and growing up with the people I grew up with.  A small town gave me the foundation to think, create and write.  In  many ways, I have never felt as much like myself as when I was there.

Friends Forever

It is an odd thing about friendship that it often flows in and out of your life like the tides in the sea.  The shared experience that you

The Indian Store, a non- PC name for a non-PC town. But a one of a kind shopping experience.
The Indian Store, a non- PC name for a non-PC town. But a one of a kind shopping experience.

build your friendship around often determines the length of the friendship.  Believe it or not, the people that I went to elementary school with in Greenville, Maine are still some of the dearest friends I have.

There was something about working our way through the growth of our youth that allowed us to bond.  With very few exceptions, today when I see someone from that era, we can talk and carry on in a fashion like no time has passed.   I believe this is true because we knew each other before life taught us hard lessons, and gave us difficult things to deal with.  At the core of each of us is that person we were when we were young.  I think I look at those friends with the eyes of understanding, that I know who they are, and they know me.  There is no judgment on choices we have made, or what we have become, it is what each of us was that I remember.

When I hear from one of these people on Facebook, or should I see them in person, I am transported back to a time in the 1970’s before cell phones, computers, and video games, when we actually played outside, every day.  These were my brothers and sisters and still are today.  That is an experience I am extremely grateful for.

The Town Itself

If I took you on a tour of 1970’s Greenville, we would walk the mile

It was not a rare occurance to see a moose, a bear or any other Maine wildlife. It was a small town in the middle of nowhere!
It was not a rare occurrence to see a moose, a bear or any other Maine wildlife. It was a small town in the middle of nowhere!

from the school to my house in the Junction, and on the way there, most every car that passed we would recognize.  It seemed like I knew everyone.  We would walk to Breton’s store which is still there today and buy the candy treat of our choice with the quarter I had squirreled away for just such an occasion.  My parents never worried that I would be harmed or abducted. They told me to never talk to strangers and in Greenville, it was easy not to do, I knew everyone even as a kid.

If we went into the downtown area, there were a number of old haunts which still exist today at least enough to let you meet the ghost of my memories. It doesn’t matter if I went to Jamison’s Store or to Harris Drug Store, I always seemed to get what I was looking for.   I was always with a friend or my brother and we were always on the go, heading to a pickup game of some sort.

Moving, The End of That Life

As I was finishing the 7th grade, I found out my family was moving. I didn’t tell anyone because I  think I felt if I just ignored it then the move would never take place.  I did not want to move.  I loved my friends and my life there.  After moving I picked up the pieces of my shattered reality and moved forward, but in my heart, I will always carry that place, the people, and our experiences there in Greenville, Maine.  I am grateful for them all!

Gratitude

Music Makes It Better

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My Top Ten Music Countdown
My Top Ten Music Countdown

Day 11 of my special gratitude project has me thinking of music.  Music plays such a big part in most peoples lives, it is no different to me.  The music sets the mood and can latch on to a memory and allow you to be transported to a particular place and time simply by hearing the notes.  I almost always put a song at the end of every post, not because they need it, but it makes it better to read if you listen to the song as you read.  Try it.

My favorite songs change each and every week depending on the randomness of what is happening in life.  Since I am feeling particularly grateful for music I will give you my top ten songs of the week.  They are random and not specific to genre.  A song can be number 1 one week and gone from the countdown the next.  Enjoy!! Be grateful.

(Click the title to SEE THE VIDEO)

  1. Wake Me Up- Avici-  This song just hits me right in the heart.  The message of looking for yourself, resonates.  Give it a listen and you will feel better!! Go ahead. Click it baby!
  2. Chillin’ It- Cole Swindell-  Any song that reminds me of my young self I can’t get enough of.  I am a country boy, I was raised in Maine, I had no choice.  This song reminds no music no lifeme of those those days a long time ago, spending time with that special someone, rollin’ with the music.
  3. A Message- Cold Play-  This song caught my mind this week and hasn’t let go.  I think we are all continually sending messages.  Some overtly like blog writing, and many more subtle ones.  I think we all want our message to be received and understood.  Get the message?  My song is love, is love unknown and I’ve got to get that message home!
  4. Radio- Darius Rucker- Not only am I a huge Darius fan, and have been for many years, this song, is one that again takes me back to my youth.  Really all we needed was a car with a radio to make us feel really cool.  It is great to feel cool. Even when you know you are not.  Go ahead go riding down that highway.
  5. Ships In The Night- Matt Kierney–  Aren’t we all just ships in the night, that pass without knowing anything about each other.  It is a waste of time to not connect, especially with someone you could be great friends with.  Don’t be a ship in the night.  Good song.
  6. Over You – Daughtry- This is an older song that I have been able to relate to lately. I never saw it coming, should have started running a long, long time ago, and I never thought I’d doubt you or be better off without you, more than you, more than you, more than you know!!   Give it a listen if you are trying to forget someone. It helps.
  7. Mine Would Be You- Blake Shelton-  Because we all have, guilty pleasures, and those that know us better than anyone else, and we don’t often say it when we have the chance. My finest hour, my wildest dream come true, mine would be you!

misic is safe8. Here I Stand- Sonny Rey–  I heard this song on an episode of touch, which is about how we are all connected.  I believe that for better or worse this is true and this song captures the essence of my feelings.  Here I am, I am just a man, here I stand.  I’m doing everything I can to show the world who I am.  Here I stand.

  1. A Drop in the Ocean- Ron Pope-  You never know why a song attaches to your mind, but this one grabbed mine probably because………it’s a drop in the ocean, a change in the weather. I was hopin’ that you and I would end up together!!  Whatever the reason, have a listen and be careful it will get in your head.
  • Sweet Annie- Zac Browne Band-  This is a beautiful song, that makes you want to know someone named Annie.  But haven’t we all known someone who makes us feel like this? Here’s to all the sweet, pretty, kind, beautiful women I have ever met.

    • There it is, take a listen and I hope you are as grateful for the music in your life as I am.

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    Gratitude

    Friendship Thing

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    grateful for friendship
    I have known this guy for over forty years and he still makes me laugh by ignoring signs and being funny. (he is trespassing)

    It should not be difficult to look at one’s friends and to feel an overwhelming gratitude.  For me, that is certainly the case.  Friendship isn’t a relationship that you can buy or force anyone to participate in, it is a connection over a shared experience that binds you to that other person in a positive way.   I think that the right positive friendships in life can enhance your life.  At this point, I have come to realize that all friends are not created equal, but all friendships are a valuable thing, and here are my thoughts on why.

    Laughter is the Best Medicine

    Life is too short to go without laughter, and a good friend can usually bring about a laughing fit about almost anything.  It doesn’t matter how long you have been friends, looking at life in a humorous way is going to allow your friendship to grow.   I have always been drawn toward the people who can snicker at the day to day events we are faced with.  If you can’t laugh about it then you are probably going to be spending a lot of time crying.  Think about your friends and how many have been centered around laughter.  I am having a hard time thinking of one person that I have enjoyed spending time with that didn’t involve laughter and joking of some kind.   I am sure it is possible to be friends if you don’t laugh but it would seem to me a much more dour prospect.

    Think about your friends and how many have been centered around laughter.  I am having a hard time thinking of one person that I have enjoyed spending time with that didn’t involve laughter and joking of some kind.   I am sure it is possible to be friends if you don’t laugh but it would seem to me a much more dour prospect.

    Old Friends, Always Friends

    grateful for friends
    All friends are valuable and don’t need to be labeled.

    I was blessed to grow up in a small town in Maine, where I went to school with the same group of kids until the seventh grade.  The neat thing about these people, is that now almost forty years later when I run into one of these people, the time that has passed does not matter at all.

    With some, it is as if no time has passed at all, the conversation is a bit different but the relationship is still the same as it was back in the old days.  The shared experience of growing up like that apparently builds a bond that isn’t easily broken or forgotten.

     I am grateful for these relationships because no matter what is happening in my life, those people know who you are and always accept you the way you are.  I am grateful for these connections.

    Some Come and Go and That is OK

    In life, I think friendship is often like the tide, inevitably moving in and out.  It has become a belief of mine, that people enter your life for a reason, most often to teach you something.  Friendship is no different.

    Maybe it is how to do something or how you look at things, but the more you allow people into your lives the greater your personal growth is.  Unfortunately once the lesson is learned, these people often move out of your life.

    This is OK because you will have to grow, be open to new experiences and new lessons that friends yet unmet will teach you.  The value of the old friends is not lessened by the fact that you have to move on for now.  You can keep in touch and when you see each other later in life, you will always have that shared experience.

    Since new friends are a great path to growth, you always have to be willing to greet and make new friends, which can be difficult.   My advice is to take them wherever you can get them from.  I have learned much more from the friends I have made over the past year than they could ever imagine.

    Toxic Friends

    Not everything in friendship is a bowl of cherries.  Sometimes, there are people you are drawn to who initially are great, but after awhile you realize that all they do is talk about other people in a derogatory manner.   Sometimes it is as blatant as making a comment as soon as someone is out of earshot.

    If they are doing this, what do they say when you are out of earshot?   Probably nothing good.  I am grateful that I haven’t had to deal with too many of these, but the ones I did have to deal with, taught me a lot.

    I think there are only two choices here, change the dynamic of the friendship or move away from it.  The people that you choose to spend your time with will not only define you to the world but will impact how you feel and how you react in it.

    Changing the dynamic is nearly impossible but give it a try.  When something negative is said about somebody, immediately say something nice about them.  I have done this twice and in both cases, the person found reasons not to discuss other people with me again.    Life is too short for negative thoughts and feelings, I am grateful to keep most negativity out of my life.

    Thank You Friends

    Friendship is one of the most important factors that makes this human experience worthwhile.  There is something about sharing, thoughts, ideas, laughs or good times that is bonding to all of us.   The educational experience, the work experience, the life experience, all of them are grounds for bonding through friendship and through friendship we are able to grow exponentially further than we could by ourselves.  Isn’t that the basis for blogging?  Putting your ideas out there and seeing if there are like minded people who can appreciate what you are thinking, feeling or doing?

    Personally I am grateful for all of the friends that have entered my life, either for a season or a lifetime and I look forward to meeting those that come into my life in the future.  Friends are the measuring stick of Your reality.

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    Gratitude

    Found My Voice

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    my computer for expression
    My computer allowed my voice to be heard. In much of my adult life, there was a voice inside of me that had no expression.  There were thoughts that were forced to lay dormant and unexpressed, feeling no life except for the minuscule moments that thought sparked a light on them, only to see them cast back into the darkness from which they so hopefully emerged.

    My voice, for whatever reason, could not speak these thoughts or express the feelings I felt, for many years this was the way it was, until one day, I found that I had a voice.  This voice was not an uttered word, but a written one.

    What an amazing liberation that was, to free these observations inside of me, about people, places, life, religion, hope, fear and everything else in between.

    I have been grateful to relay my observations about other people and in doing so, observations about myself that needed to be expressed, needed to be shared, even if nobody ever read them, by offering them to the world on their own merit, at least they took a form outside of myself.

    Many times I hbeing yourself expressing the truthave wondered what this sharing would lead to?  Anything? Are there others who think like me?  This voice of expression is honest and from the heart and it is truly me.  It feels sometimes when I write something about gratitude or feelings I feel free, totally free from all of the expectations and restraints of life and of others.

    It should be easy to leave these behind, the negative voices in your head, to follow the true voice inside your heart.  Writing has allowed me to see this voice, hopefully someday soon

    find your voice, gratitude
    Have you found your voice?

    it will help me to trust it.   As each day comes, I feel so much hope in my heart that this will be the day that magic happens for me.  Yet that is determined by me.

    I am grateful for the ability to write and express what I feel inside myself.  Each small step to understanding life, or other people or the Universe and how we all work together is amazing and my vehicle for this exploration is my voice and that voice is to write what is inside my heart.

    Being yourself is the scariest thing you can be because there is no facade to hide behind, the world can see you and judge you and that can be difficult.  Yet it is only in being ourselves that our true talents can show, I am grateful to at least be on the path to this truth.

     

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    Grateful for Change

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    leaves change and so do we
    A picture I took at a random location of the fall foliage.

     The lessons that nature teaches us are on display all around us each and every day.  All we have to do is listen and being fortunate enough to live in an area the has a distinct four seasons, I am lucky to experience these changes and I am grateful for it.

    For many years I am ashamed to say that I never really enjoyed or contemplated too much about it, but lately, I can’t help but be amazed and think about all that the changes of the season bring to the world.  Right now it is autumn in Maine and that means that each and every day you will see a wide array of colors, red, yellow, orange and even brown.  This change where once there was only green makes you think and often about gratitude.

    On the Surface

    Seeing the leaves change is a pretty miraculous thing. To think that nature knows exactly how to work itself for the trees to survive is amazing, and further than that there is the show they put on.  I have been fortunate enough to see, bright-colored leaves reflecting on the still waters of a fall lake surface.  It brings many thoughts to my mind as I look at the colors and understand them for what they are. Harbingers of what is to come and we merely need to listen to hear their warnings and to learn from them.

    Change Is Constant

    One of the best reminders of fall is that change is happening all around us all the time.

    fall is a season which depicts change
    Leaves are falling all around, it’s time I was on my way.

    You may not be able to see it visually, but everything is changing all the time.  These variations are usually never as visual as the leaves but they are as real.  Each relationship, job, and personal journey is changing all the time.

    No matter what you do and no matter what you think of your current circumstances, it matters little because soon they will be different because things are always changing.   Just like the fall will eventually give up its life to the oncoming winter, so must we learn to let go of our attachments to this life.

    It is the values of these changes that make them appear good or bad.  Yet aren’t they simply just experiences?  The fall season helps me to contemplate and understand the changes that are happening in life all the time.  I have a gratefulness inside for all of the changes that have happened in my life and that growth is not possible without change.

    Endings Are Just Endings

    Another great thought of fall is the twilight of the year, the ending of summer and how this season represents an ending in our lives.  The phrase “The Autumn of our Lives”, captures this effectively.

    I have a problem with this phrase because we simply do not know with any kind of certainty when this life is going to end.   it may be over in five minutes or it may last another 30-40 years.  Nobody knows.

    When you look at the fall it will have an ending, just as all of our lives will, but there is a hidden promise in the fall.  It is there in every nostalgic feeling and thought, that eventually, the spring and beautiful summer will come again.  We just need to be patient.  All things will eventually end, that is the way that the universe works.  All things have a beginning, a middle and an ending.

    This is not a bad thing, it is only a thing.   So it teaches you to enjoy the summer, or the fall or the winter or whatever season you are experiencing right now because that is all you have right now.  There may never be another summer to look forward to, so not completely enjoying today is a foolhardy choice.

    The fall makes me grateful for each and every day and what it has to offer.

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    Gratitude

    A Good Cup of Coffee

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    gratitude for coffee
    One of my favorite coffee stops was Tim Horton’s, now they are gone from the area but I am grateful for them still.

    Day 2 of Gratitude project-  When I look back on my gratitude journals for the past year, I am continually grateful for the delicious cup of coffee I am usually enjoying at the time I am contemplating all that I am feeling grateful for.  Yet I think it is more than that.

    Coffee is one of my favorite beverages and I can enjoy it at any time of day.  It doesn’t affect the way I sleep at all.  It seems like that no matter what is going wrong in the world, a hot cup of coffee can make it all seem better.  If things are going great, what better way to celebrate than to enjoy a tasty cup of Joe?  There isn’t one.

    I am also often quite grateful for the people I am sharing the coffee with.  Even if they don’t drink coffee themselves, there is a conversation that coffee inspires all the time.  It brings people together, helps to build understanding, and allows for many problems to be solved.

    Since most coffee is consumed in the morning, I think that when you drink it, for the most part you have high hopes about what the new day is going to bring.  Will that problem be solved?  Will that person call?  Could you get that new job or raise?  Whatever is on your mind can be pulled out, discussed and contemplated in a way that can only help you.  All because of a delicious cup of a hot beverage full of caffeine and deliciousness.  Tea I am sure works the same way as well.

    According to Sheldon Cooper of the Big Bang Theory you should always offer someone a hot beverage when they are upset about something. Coffee works for me and I am sure for most people. The truth of this practice has some psychology behind it. What will make you feel more nourished and cared for? A hot beverage in your hands, that warm feeling might even be mistaken for love. No matter what it will make you feel better and that is the point.

    So Today I am grateful for the thousands of cups of coffee that I have been fortunate to enjoy in my life and for all of the many wonderful people I have shared them with.  I am grateful for the problems that were solved, the issues that were brought to light and the fact that no matter what happened, life was just a bit easier to live after enjoying this wonderful drink.

    I am grateful for all of the many coffees I have enjoyed in my life, the people that have shared them and the solutions we found.    

    My Top Five Coffee Stops EVER:  1. Panera Bread 2. Dunkin Donuts  3. Tim Horton’s   4. Breton’s Store  5. Starbucks

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