Soul Cuddle Fest #Gratitude

If there is one thing we can be sure of, it is this: Never take anything for granted. Be present in the moment.

Holding that thought in my heart, I am grateful for my life.

I was a little surprised to find that it is already the last Thursday of the month and time for the September Gratitude Circle blog hop. Where did the days go? In spite of all the unexpected days off thanks to turbulence in the city I live in, life has been busy with good times and tough times.

I have been focusing on the good things. After all, it is only a matter of perception. And for every unpleasant thing that happens, there is always something nice to balance it off, even if it is a bit of a challenge to find it sometimes. But once we find it, it certainly  makes life brighter and bearable and turns it into a soul cuddle fest!

Here are a few things from my gratitude journal

I am grateful for a harrowing experience that ended in safety.

You have probably read about the water wars between two southern states in the news. The issue is very much hot without resolution and we are on tenterhooks, unsure when there’ll be another bout of violence. Earlier this month, on the day of the Supreme Court judgment, all hell broke loose in my city. Violence, vandalism, destruction and death were the order of the day.

My husband, who was at work when this started, literally walked through flames to reach home . Most scary afternoon and evening, ever! He walked 17 kilometers through burning tires and trucks ablaze, vandalism in progress, unruly elements stopping him every two minutes, and worst of all, darkness, lit by destructive fire. He finally got home late at night, tired, thirsty, hungry, and in shock because he had never seen anything like it – but smiling. (Runs in the family, eh). I am so grateful to my lovely neighbors who kept me company and in good cheer.

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In the midst of all this, my niece chose to bring her baby boy into this world. He’s the sweetest, and I am a happy grand-aunt. Again! I am grateful that she got to the hospital peacefully and everything went well.  I am having so much fun getting things together for him. There’s something so wonderful about baby clothes and the fragrance of baby products!

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I am grateful to find recipients for all the things I am giving away in the race to declutter. My grandmother often said–we may be ready to give, but there must be people ready to take. Funny eh? But it is true.

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Gratitude for an email from one of Sury’s students, mentioning that he enjoys reading the “mindful living” category on my blog.  I confess I felt tearful.

And then, one of Vidur’s classmates told him he reads my blog. More tears! The world is a beautiful place!

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I took the leap into a brand new year in my life on 27th. It was a great birthday, easygoing, filled with love, family and friends, with lots of phone calls and friends dropping by. So blessed.  My friend Sreeja wrote me a beautiful poem.

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My friend, Richard Medcalf, published a roundup post on his website featuring personal effectiveness tips from 60+ experts and I am honored to be included in the post. Here it is.

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I discovered the joy of making Facebook slideshow videos last week and it feels like a new toy, considering my love for photography.

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And of course, my gratitude list would be complete without appreciating the wonderful relationships in my life – friends, family and neighbors. And books. And coffee. They truly make my life meaningful.

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Oh! Speaking of coffee, today is apparently International Coffee Day!

Here’s a lovely poem that has been doing the rounds in our circles:

Gratitude

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness, you are more blessed than the million people around the world that won’t survive the week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, you are ahead of 20 million people around the world.

If you have food in your refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep, you are richer than 75% of this world!

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace, you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy!!

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful, you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

If you can hold someone’s hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder, you are blessed because you can offer God’s healing touch.

If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read anything at all!

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Thank you for practising gratitude with me today.

Featured image credit Shutterstock

Do join me in the September Gratitude Circle bloghop, sharing your dose of gratitude, something that inspired you, and other positive moments. The linky will be open until October 15, 2016