Celebrating 2023: A month or gratitude- Day 21

Image: Canva

Earlier this year, a friend asked me how I always noticed the seemingly little details around me that seemed to pass her by. I was humbled by the question. I didn’t realise I did it, to be honest, and had to think about how I got here as I didn’t always notice them.


If I think back, it probably started when I made the choice to be more grateful for the things I had rather than waste time only desiring the things that I didn’t have. I had made a list of all my achievements, big and small, and all the things I owned that I was really grateful for and why. That exercise blew me away. I was so proud of myself and, at the same time, humbled by all that God had given. I don’t have a whole hoard of stuff, but I have a lot, more than most, which humbles me.


Being a mother to a toddler also made me see the world through a kid’s eyes again. Mother Earth is an absolute marvel through a kid’s eyes. The trick is always keeping that child’s sense of awe and wonder when looking at a sunset, sunrise, centipede, or simple tree. I now sit by a window at work that at least has a view of the greenery outside. I had an ocean view for a while but had to move desks. The best part is that even though I sit at the same desk every time, the view outside is never exactly the same. God blesses me with a new picture every day.


I guess the lesson is that gratitude can bring a sense of awe and wonder into your life and help you appreciate the things you would generally take for granted around you. It will even help look at people differently. You will see the positive in them without even trying.


I love this way of viewing the world and life in general. It has allowed me to finally comprehend that “this too shall pass” when bad times try to overwhelm me and that there is always something good to hold on to, even in the middle of what may feel like a hurricane. Always!


Oh, and today, I am most grateful that the book I ordered arrived a week early! I have been waiting for this book to be published for almost 10 years!!! It’s finally here, and I can’t wait to get started! I loved “I Am Pilgrim”. It was the first book I enjoyed reading when my son got a little older, and I had a little time to read again. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I couldn’t find a book that I enjoyed as much for a few months after that. The publisher has been pushing the book’s launch out every year since about 2015. I had given up on it, so you can imagine how thrilled I was to see it exists! Have you read it yet, or “I Am Pilgrim”? What did you think?

Image: Author’s own

Well that’s it from me today. Thanks for stopping by. Be blessed.

Celebrating 2023: A Month of Gratitude – Day 19

5 days to Christmas and I have only purchased 1 gift so far! I have a lot more to be grateful for though.

Hi Again. There are 5 days to Christmas and I have only bought one Christmas present. Talk about putting myself under pressure! I will get there eventually though. I always do. How is your Christmas shopping going? I hope it’s better than mine.

Photo by Matthias Cooper on Pexels.com

The thing I am most grateful for today is that my son has reached his first destination safely. He has one more leg to go in a few days time. I know he is going to have a really good Christmas but I will definitely miss him every day.

Today I had a very good stakeholder meeting at work. As I mentioned last week, I have had been offered a cool opportunity at work. I didn’t realise at all how cool it was (well at least to me) until today’s meeting. I feel like I have been preparing for this opportunity for a while now and I didn’t quite realise it. I was really just reading books and articles that really interested me with the intention to implement everything I learnt but no-one else has been in the same space. I have felt like I have been trying to push people up a hill so that they can get to the summit and see what see and it has been exhausting.  Now I have the opportunity to lead a team in the same direction. It will still be exhausting but it will be a very different type of exhaustion if that makes sense. I am so excited and very grateful. I am also very nervous as I have never been give this level of responsibility before. I can only thank God for bringing me to this and I need to trust that He will lead me through it.

Image: Canva

2024 is going to be a wonderful challenge and I look forward to the person I will be at the end of it. What challenges and opportunities are you looking forward to in 2024? Let me know in the comments.

Celebrating 2023: A Month of Gratitude – Day 18

The author appreciates the positive impacts that her father, son, and a friend, Dan, have had on her life. Their influences have shaped her sense of self, empowerment, and understanding of men.

Daily writing prompt
Describe a man who has positively impacted your life.

Since this is my month of gratitude, this prompt was right up my alley. There are a few men who have positively impacted my life. There’s my father, my son (even though he isn’t quite a man yet), and a friend who was clearly in my life for a reason and is no longer around, to name a few. Let’s start with my dad.


My Dad


Before my son’s arrival, no person loved me unconditionally like my dad did. What I do doesn’t matter; even if I disappoint him terribly, I am loved. What more could I ask of any human being. My dad is a gentle, loving soul who has a good heart. He finds his purpose in doing things for others. He is not all sparkle and fairy dust, though. He was very strict with us when we were kids and had quite a temper. Although he only hit my sister and me once each, and he couldn’t bear the pain he caused us, he never ever hit us again. He is very quiet and loves to read. All the second-hand booksellers in the area know me because I am constantly buying him books to read. He loves history and is our family’s genealogist. From him, I learnt that “this too shall pass”, that I can do anything I put my mind to and that being a woman is not a reason to let anyone hold me back. He has taught me what it feels like to be loved unconditionally and what it means to be of service to others. I am so grateful to call him Dad.


My Son


My son is a gift that I thank God for every day. He is an old soul and, therefore, a wise soul. He has taught me to appreciate the little things in life and who I am. I have watched him evolve through each stage of his life, and I marvel at how quickly things change. This year, I have watched him grow from an angry young person trying hard to be brave to a calmer, more mature young man. He inspires me to want to be better and to set an example for him. Each time he raises his game, I am inspired to raise mine even further. I could not have asked for a more wonderful son. I am very grateful for him.
The other thing that my son has taught me is that males are indeed a different ball game altogether. I do not have any brothers, so I only experienced males as friends and, of course, as boyfriends. I used to get so frustrated with my boyfriends about how they viewed life and behaved. I had a terrible habit of always picking weirdos for boyfriends. Having a son has taught me that they were not weirdos; they were just boys being boys. Now that I know that, I can live with it. Thank you, my child, for teaching your mum to appreciate men as they are.


My Friend, Dan


Dan came into my life a few months ago. It was very unexpected, and we just clicked. He is a fascinating, very well-rounded guy who lives on another continent. He has experience as a teacher, and he finds his purpose in creating programs to help kids overcome whatever difficulties they may be facing. I truly believe God sent him to me because He knew I needed help with my son. The funny thing is that Dan doesn’t believe in God, and I understand why he doesn’t, but it didn’t stop God from working through him.
Spirituality teaches us that if we want others to change their behaviour, we must change ours first, and they will respond in time. I was so wrapped up in thinking that there was something wrong with my child that I started to feel powerless to change the situation. Dan helped me see that there was nothing wrong with my son and that I needed to change his behaviour when he became angry. This turned everything around far sooner than I expected. I am so grateful for his help in changing my perspective about my son. He also appreciated me in such a way that I liked who I saw when I viewed myself through his eyes. Through his eyes, I realised that I already am the person I aspired to be and that I am ready to evolve to the next version of me. I am so grateful to him for this insight.


I wouldn’t be who I am today if it was not for each of these men. Who are the men in your life that have brought a positive change?

Thanks for reading! Be blessed!