Tag: #love

 Gratitude for the People Who Held Space for Me – Day 9 -2025

 Reflection

As I have mentioned in previous posts, this has been a very challenging year for me for several reasons. Most challenges were work-related. There were times when I was simply exhausted. Thankfully, I am still standing. I can still smile and laugh. I can still be kind even though quite a few people have not been kind to me this year. That’s on them though.

I can do all this because God always goes before me, and I have amazing friends and family who always make space for me when I need it. I am so grateful that they let me talk through my experiences for hours on end sometimes. It really helped me get some perspective, and their advice was pure gold. Thank you God for your guidance. Thank you to my friends and family for letting me talk your ear off some nights. Thank you for distracting me from my problems but sharing your stories with me.

It’s been a tough year, but I have made it, and I did it with amazing people holding my hand.

To my friends and family

Thank you for being my confidant, always listening without judgment. Your support and encouragement have helped me to overcome some of the toughest challenges I have faced. I am so grateful for your presence in my life. Thank you for being there for me, for your unwavering support, and for being the kind of person who makes the world a better place. I am blessed to call you my friends and family.

Today’s Quote

 At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.


–Albert Schweitzer

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Thanks for popping by!

Honouring the Story That Shaped Me – Day 7 2025

Reflection

Today would have been my parents’ 53rd wedding anniversary. I am so grateful that they came together at a point in their lives. I wouldn’t be here if they didn’t, and I definitely wouldn’t be the person I am today. I am grateful that I was able to experience a loving home when I was younger. I am grateful that in the moments that counted, they always tried to ensure that we experienced it as a family. Sometimes life got in the way but our family was most important to them. I cannot remember a Christmas or Easter when they were not at home.

From this I learnt that family was important to both of them. No matter what, they were always inclusive of each other’s extended families as well. When I was a kid, my dad would happily drive us to various towns and cities to visit family. I loved those trips.

What I learned from each of them

From my mum I learned independence and resilience. My mother got her driver’s license when I was in high school or earlier. She was one of the few mum’s in the neighbourhood who drove. She worked as a bookkeeper when I was in primary school and then as the church’s secretary and bookkeeper until the day she died. She was not afraid of technology and took the necessary courses to upgrade her skills. She was an amazing baker and this became her side hustle. In all honesty, I did not appreciate how fantastic my mum was while she was here. A lot of what she did, she did with such grace that it looked it was perfectly normal for women to do what she did. I am grateful that I at least get to appreciate her now.

As far as I am aware, my dad never felt threatened by my mum’s independence. Perhaps it’s because his mum was also a strong independent woman. He encouraged me to be independent and to never let a man make me feel inferior. He was also an independent soul that tried his hand at entrepreneurship more than once. He was not successful with his ventures but, it hasn’t stopped him from trying. He is in his 70’s and still trying out new business ideas. My dad is also very curious and one of our family historians. I guess I get my curiosity from him.

A Question for You  

No two parents are perfect. What is one good thing in your life today that you feel grateful for that was shaped by your parents?

Quote of the Day  

“Being grateful for family doesn’t mean they’re perfect, it means you see their worth.”

Unknown

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“One is loved because one is loved. No reason is needed for loving.” — Paulo Coelho

Bloganuary writing prompt
Can you share a positive example of where you’ve felt loved?
View all responses

I have read this prompt over and over and I keep asking myself if people have negative examples of where they have felt love? Anyway…I feel loved every day and I only realised this while contemplating a response to this prompt. I don’t think i have ever felt unloved. I have felt unappreciated and perhaps like my presence is unwanted in certain spaces (as can happen), but I have never felt unloved.

Throughout my life, I have been the apple of my dad’s eye. Knowing this, I never had reason to question whether I was loved or not. Knowing that I am loved by someone and, more recently, understanding and accepting that I am loved unconditionally by God has ensured that I don’t need to seek love anywhere. For this, I am eternally grateful, as I know that not everyone has this experience in life. I do find that I have a need to be seen, appreciated and respected. 

There are quite a few ways that this can happen that works for me. An example would be when someone acknowledges something that I have said. It doesn’t matter whether they agree with me or not; what matters is that they hear me. I don’t know why, but that is very important to me. I guess if I looked at my life through the lens of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the bottom three rungs are taken care of (physiological, safety and security, love and belonging), and I tend to look to others to take care of some of my esteem needs, in particular, recognition and respect. 

I am actually blown away that this has been quite an insightful little exercise. I think I have discovered something important about myself! Whadda you know! 🤪 I must admit that until this moment, I hadn’t quite been able to internalise the quote from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Now, I can finally say, “I get it.” 😊

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What insights did you come up with when you contemplated this question?

Thanks for stopping by. Be blessed.