Humble Gratitude

 

November is the traditional month for expressing gratitude and thankfulness. Many may be grateful for luxuries such as an expensive vacation, the latest fashion in clothing, or sparkly jewelry. I often remind myself to be grateful for simple things such as a warm house, good food, and having enough. A humble gratitude.

Sure, housework is a daily chore, but I’m grateful I have a house to
clean and don’t lack the energy to do it. My washer and dryer are small enough to necessitate daily laundry, but I'm grateful I don’t have to go to a laundromat. Tending the garden takes time, but I’m able to grow fruits and vegetables to supplement our weekly groceries. 

 

And when I’m ready to relax for the day, I have my furry friend to curl up with. I’m grateful I can afford vet bills.

https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-appreciation/

 

 

I looked into what others consider humble gratitude and found most references were rooted in religion. Psychology also offers great insight and definition. This image was especially helpful in describing many aspects of simple gratitude.

This beautiful image I recently saw on Facebook depicts humble gratitude. Appreciating the seemingly small things like those mentioned above bring us joy when they are not overlooked.


 

thegoalchaser.com

There are many sites with gratitude quotes, but I confess I most enjoyed the humorous ones.  My favorite is from an unknown author. I’m grateful I have at least a small sense of humor.

 If you’d like to practice humble gratitude, the site Master Your Mind can get you started with three simple steps:
1. Acknowledge what you have
2. Express thanks
3. Take action by volunteering, donating to charity, or doing something nice for someone

So this month when we focus on gratefulness, we should remember not to overlook things that are often taken for granted.

AI Art depicting humble gratitude created with DALL-E

The Hope of a Bird's Song ~ by Marj Ivancic

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I heard a bird sing

In the dark of December.

A magical thing

And sweet to remember.

We are nearer to Spring 

Than we were in September,

I heard a bird sing

In the dark of December.

This poem by Oliver Hereford is one of my favorites. It’s a simple verse, but its eight lines are full of instruction and hope.

Be in the moment, it says to me.

Listen with your heart, not your ears.

Take the time to soak up the joy of life, the wonder that resides in all the small, seemingly inconsequential things in our lives that we take for granted.

The purr of a cat. 

Your loved one’s voice. 

A warm bed on a cold night. 

A glass of good bourbon. 

The moon.

Savor these things. Roll about in them. Commit them to memory. Wear them like a charm about your neck. They will ward off the shadows and comfort you through the long night. 

But should you stumble and lose your way in the darkness,

remember that the light is not so very far away. Spring sits on the other side of winter. Morning cannot happen without night. If you keep moving forward, you will come out on the other end of things. Life is a wheel, rolling. Sometimes we are on its downturn, others on the upswing. The trick is to hold on and not let go.

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I dedicate this post to The Unbreakable Girl. 

I cannot read this poem without thinking of you.

Grateful for All I Have ~ Lexa Fisher

Grateful for All I Have

From a friend's FB post

Our current house is half the size of our previous one and has highly limited storage space. This means we no longer shop at warehouse stores--there simply isn't room for bulk purchases. 

Lack of space has also necessitated a new rule: one thing in, one thing out. I have to give a lot of thought to what I buy, because something has to go. In with the new, out with the old, as the saying goes.

This flowchart I recently saw on a friend's Facebook page depicts the decision process that helps my purchasing choices.

Gratitude turns what we have into enough. ~~ Anonymous

Though I purchase less, I'm grateful for so much. As we reflect on all that we are thankful for later this month, it's also the perfect time to consider what we need. No doubt our needs are far fewer on Thanksgiving Thursday than they are on Black Friday.

One day we give thanks and express gratitude for what we have, and the next day kicks off the biggest shopping spree of the year. If we're so grateful, why this need to have more or to give more?

"[There are] Two kinds of gratitude: The sudden kind we feel for what we take; the larger kind we feel for what we give." ~~ Edwin Arlington Robinson

Photo by Mel Poole on Unsplash

There are many reasons to give, and not all pertain to unnecessary excesses or filling voids in ourselves. Gifts are the most common form of expressing thanks and showing appreciation to the people we're thankful for.





As I've composed this post, I've found I can reconcile the opposing ideas of gratitude for enough versus needing to express it by buying more, with this quote:

"Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it." ~~ William Arther Ward

I struggle to find the right gift for friends and family each year. But this year I'll focus on giving holiday gifts that express gratitude to the recipient--for their support, the knowledge they impart, the love they give, or the joy they bring to my life. And, of course, something small or consumable--space considerations, you know.😀

Card by Lexa Fisher

Conference Organization ~ Lexa Fisher

Who knew you could learn so much by volunteering!? This is my fifth year volunteering in the organization of a local writers' conference, and my first year as committee chair for registration. My friend Joanne Jaytanie also mentioned our conference in her recent post.


Though registration for the annual October conference opens every June1st, preparation begins in April with committee planning meetings. 




My position on various committees provides learning opportunities that I don't have in my day job. Public speaking in a friendly, welcoming environment, and event coordination are two I especially enjoy. But one opportunity I haven't been grateful to learn is Mail Merge in MS Word. I never want to hear that term again! 😅 Anything except a very basic spreadsheet taxes my abilities.

Everything ready to go into registration packets.

Before conference, several of my colleagues gather to create order out of the chaos of materials that go into registration packets. Not only do many hands make for light work, but extra sets of eyes double-checking helps make sure there are fewer errors encountered during registration.


On opening day of the conference everything comes together as we welcome attendees. The registration desk is the first place everyone heads for to pick up their registration materials and ask questions. Where do I get coffee? How can I change my pitch appointment? What time is dinner?

Ready for showtime!

One quickly learns the value of volunteers, as my chapter mate Aedyn Brooks pointed out in her post, The Value of Volunteering. Committee chairs need their co-chairs and the attendees who volunteer to help during conference. A big thanks to everyone who pitches in!

Emerald City Writers' Conference provides a welcoming venue to meet new people, learn about the craft of writing, and pitch a story to agents or editors. There are many repeat attendees who volunteer to match up with newcomers to answer questions and make sure first-time attendees have someone to sit with at dinner.

It's a lot of fun in just 2.5 days, but by the end of the weekend my brain is ready for a day of recovery before I step back into the real world.