I post weekly stories and reflections on my blog, ThanksgivinginFebruary.com
My first blog was “Blessed & Grateful.” You can learn the back-story and access the archive of stories right here.
“Blessed & Grateful” sounds a little corny, doesn’t it?!
I thought so, too, when I first heard my neighbor’s response to a friendly “How are you?
He replied with quiet confidence: “Blessed and grateful.”
Not the pleasant “Good, you?” or small talk about the weather I’d been expecting.
Over the last couple of years, I’ve realized this bearded and quiet older man is right. Or has the right idea. We’ve become friends. He’s inspired this blog of stories and reflections around noticing the good stuff and pausing for a moment to be thankful for it.
Here’s why gratitude is so powerful.
Blessed & Grateful is an aspiration, a goal, a practice
It’s not a mandate, forced and fake. I won’t smash a smile over anybody’s pain. I won’t tell you what you should think or do.
My goal is to give you a story around this theme that makes you smile, or think or lifts your spirits.
And in doing so, my hope is to face darkness with light, to stay up when there is so much going on the world that can bring us down. To inspire us all to stay up — as best we can. We can’t combat darkness if we succumb to it.
This focus on what I have, or enjoyed or learned is my antidote to my blues. It is no fix for anyone’s clinical depression.
The Blessed & Grateful blog launched Dec. 22, 2017, the day following the shortest day of the year. Because the light always returns, and a small amount of light is often plenty.
I hope you enjoy.
What are you Blessed & Grateful for? Please share.