One kind of gratitude makes you cling to the object of its desire; the other kind of gratitude seems to leave you longing for nothing more than what is happening right in front of you. This is what I mean by that…
Good morning! At the moment, I am thinking about sobriety and the real meaning of the serenity prayer. Taught to make gratitude lists to relieve in part, my obsession with self. But... it starts with the deep thankfulness of being sober, in body and mind. And mesmerized is a great synonym!
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference." Wow, I'd never thought about how that is another way to talk about what we can and cannot control. Thank you for sharing, Michael, and blessings upon your sobriety!
Grateful for the unconditional love of my wife and being available emotionally and physically to love my children. Awesome post as always Kelly! Not sure what day this was but I watched this happen to the tree in our front yard over the weekend so I felt I was there with you in your writing, very cool!
I am grateful for a lot right now. The usual stuff that living in a first world country and earning money in the top 20% of income provides. Additionally, my health, my family, etc. It's a lot to take in when I begin reflecting on all of it. I had a special moment of gratitude yesterday though. It has been raining and feeling pretty chilly here in Virginia and I was in the office yesterday instead of teleworking like I might normally do on a Tuesday. The ride home was not pleasant on I-95 as usual but I did get back and enjoy some time at home before the day was over.
Mushy Warning (the following could be TMI for some folks) :)
As the rain fell and before my wife and I ventured back out into it to get some groceries, etc. We lazily laid on our bed avoiding responsibility for a bit. All warm and comfy with the cold rain outside we snuggled up and I was struck with a whole range of nostalgia. I thought about the future and being a frail old man, maybe even alone without my wife and reflecting on moments when I still had her and wishing for more. I then swung back in time in a rush of thought to my boyhood daydreams of who I might get to be with, who might love me, and who I could kiss and be close to. It was "dreamy" and wonderful to be in that moment and I explained it all to Emily as we held each other and enjoyed the warmth of the moment.
Mushiness over (talky JC continues) ;)
Things are difficult to absorb and handle as an adult. We watched a movie the other night at the behest of my daughter who loves dogs. It was "Think Like a Dog" a 2020 film you can watch on Netflix. It was produced and directed by Chinese people but has a lot of popular US TV and Film actors in it. The premise of the movie is how a boy becomes able to talk with his dog and the dog helps him to save his parents marriage. It's pretty adorable, not overly cheesy, even if it is an overtly predictable plotline. I would say it was pleasant and good for evoking some emotion to a degree. Still, my adult wisdom quickly noted all the Chinese propaganda and saw through the "sweet" message about family and love straight to the geo-political nuances they were promoting with the various scenes and characters. It was unsettling to not enjoy a film for its pure entertainment value like my daughter probably did and how I used to. Putting aside Hollywood and the Chinese Government and any modern forms of subliminal messaging that might be different in some ways from movies in the past, there is a difference between that younger self and the perspective my now damaged and shamed self have. My core gratitude today revolves around being able to at least distinguish that there is something in me that needs to be addressed and that it can be. I am very grateful for this little community where I get to ramble on about myself like this and reflect on the things that are most important to me. It is nice to have it.
All mushiness welcome here, my friend. One of my most reliable ways to experience deep gratitude is to cultivate the divine perspective, to see it all from outside of time so you can see it all at once. Thank you for sharing this, it's a reminder to all of us that every moment is sacred in the grand scheme of things.
Grateful for the mountain of preparation I’m climbing (taking time out to attend a funeral this morning) and the maelstrom of chaos that will descend on my quiet house as our family gathers. Abundant Love.
I'm sorry for your loss, Joyce, but blessed by your willingness to receive chaos as blessing. I've got a post about chaos and comedy coming in the near future. 😊
This really reminded me to slow down. Be grateful for the little things. At night when I pray I say I am grateful. Not sure I am now. I now will work harder at it. Great post!
Nov 22, 2023·edited Nov 22, 2023Liked by Kelly Flanagan
I'm filled with gratitude for being able to do what I love everyday (flowers) and to share in so many peoples lives their joy, love, sadness, and to know that I have touched someone's heart with a flower.
I get to do this with my family; husband (wholesaler) son, daughter-in-law, (designer), my two grand-daughters that hang at the shop daily and a whole group of employees I call my flower family. Wishing you love in the simple, daily things. Oh, and why I can be grateful, I get to do all of this sober. (22 years)
Kelly, on back to back days this week, 11/20-21, I awoke to amazing sunrises visible from our back deck. It was cold and crisp outside, which made me hesitate going out for the full view, but God nudged and I was met with gratitude for His display of color and creativity. I find this same gratitude for you, meeting you at the Apprentice Gathering this year, getting your “John Hancock” in your book for me, The Unhiding of Elijah Campbell. I so connected with Elijah in this wonderful story of relationships and God’s grace. I’d love to read another one of your books, so I throw my name in the hat. Happy Thanksgiving…giving thanks for you and all the relationships that spur you on to love and good deeds (writing).
My family is about to miss Thanksgiving celebrations tomorrow due to a sick kid, but overall, still feeling grateful. I live close enough to family that this isn't a once a year opportunity- we can all see each other next month. My daughter has a 104 degree fever and is still being as sweet as can be. And we will do our best to make tomorrow special for her in a different way!
I am grateful for the cooling air and fresh rain touching the southern U.S. watering the parched ground and my soul. I’m grateful that my college-aged son still likes coming home to be with us. And I’m so grateful to amazing authors on Substack who inspire and teach me.
This year I am grateful for the many ways that I have had to let go. In so many different ways it has been a year of loss. Like a long winter of lament, bereft of color, yet clear and bright. Sorrow and its accompanying disorientation, the way it wildly spins the compass of my perceived control, also has a sifting effect on the soul and mind. The leaves will come back. Grateful for you, Kelly. Human Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Wow. To be grateful for the way life is teaching you to let go. That is profound and important for all of us to here. Thank you for turning your difficult year into that wisdom for us.
I am grateful for my wife who is embracing the struggle to homeschool our kids, manage our home and be an incredible helper to me. I'm also thankful for a healthy body, one that allows me to push it beyond its comfort zones and lets me live the life I enjoy.
Well I am grateful for this poignant, wise timely post Kelly. It does make me think. Especially about watching leaves fall. My home windows all face the street and right behind all the pretty colored trees that I look (no houses blocking my view) at, is a Parkway. And every November the leaves continue to fall until they’re gone and until May I’m looking at a busy parkway. I’ve come to accept the process and even be grateful for each season’s contribution.
Thank you for punctuating our lives with the beauty of your words. This weekend I will attempt to wear my gratitudes like a loose garments rather than the snowsuits I used to put on my boys when they were little. I love this group!
I am grateful for my family and friends. I am grateful that I succeeded in bringing my spouse Rick’s family back together on holidays. After his Dad died in January 2019 the family fell apart a bit Took 31/2 yrs but it has happened!
If I think I am loosing a friend I do my best to try and control and bring the person back.
Rae, thank you for naming that balance between trying to influence reconciliation and the limits of what we can control in that. We celebrate the coming together of your husband's family with you!
I am grateful for every day that my dad is alive. I am grateful for every day that passes, I am grateful for my family and I to be alive and to not have to hide from bombs or terrorists, I am grateful for having access to drinking water, for having food on the table, and a roof, and heat. I am grateful to love and to be loved. I am so grateful for the sun to raise every day...
This is beautiful. We are grateful for something and then take it for granted and want more of something else to feel grateful for. If we can stay rooted in our basic gratitude, all of life becomes a source for it. Thanks for the reminder, Tiphaine!
Good morning! At the moment, I am thinking about sobriety and the real meaning of the serenity prayer. Taught to make gratitude lists to relieve in part, my obsession with self. But... it starts with the deep thankfulness of being sober, in body and mind. And mesmerized is a great synonym!
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference." Wow, I'd never thought about how that is another way to talk about what we can and cannot control. Thank you for sharing, Michael, and blessings upon your sobriety!
Grateful for the unconditional love of my wife and being available emotionally and physically to love my children. Awesome post as always Kelly! Not sure what day this was but I watched this happen to the tree in our front yard over the weekend so I felt I was there with you in your writing, very cool!
I bet it was the same day, makes me happy to think of us watching the same event some 90 miles apart!
I am grateful for a lot right now. The usual stuff that living in a first world country and earning money in the top 20% of income provides. Additionally, my health, my family, etc. It's a lot to take in when I begin reflecting on all of it. I had a special moment of gratitude yesterday though. It has been raining and feeling pretty chilly here in Virginia and I was in the office yesterday instead of teleworking like I might normally do on a Tuesday. The ride home was not pleasant on I-95 as usual but I did get back and enjoy some time at home before the day was over.
Mushy Warning (the following could be TMI for some folks) :)
As the rain fell and before my wife and I ventured back out into it to get some groceries, etc. We lazily laid on our bed avoiding responsibility for a bit. All warm and comfy with the cold rain outside we snuggled up and I was struck with a whole range of nostalgia. I thought about the future and being a frail old man, maybe even alone without my wife and reflecting on moments when I still had her and wishing for more. I then swung back in time in a rush of thought to my boyhood daydreams of who I might get to be with, who might love me, and who I could kiss and be close to. It was "dreamy" and wonderful to be in that moment and I explained it all to Emily as we held each other and enjoyed the warmth of the moment.
Mushiness over (talky JC continues) ;)
Things are difficult to absorb and handle as an adult. We watched a movie the other night at the behest of my daughter who loves dogs. It was "Think Like a Dog" a 2020 film you can watch on Netflix. It was produced and directed by Chinese people but has a lot of popular US TV and Film actors in it. The premise of the movie is how a boy becomes able to talk with his dog and the dog helps him to save his parents marriage. It's pretty adorable, not overly cheesy, even if it is an overtly predictable plotline. I would say it was pleasant and good for evoking some emotion to a degree. Still, my adult wisdom quickly noted all the Chinese propaganda and saw through the "sweet" message about family and love straight to the geo-political nuances they were promoting with the various scenes and characters. It was unsettling to not enjoy a film for its pure entertainment value like my daughter probably did and how I used to. Putting aside Hollywood and the Chinese Government and any modern forms of subliminal messaging that might be different in some ways from movies in the past, there is a difference between that younger self and the perspective my now damaged and shamed self have. My core gratitude today revolves around being able to at least distinguish that there is something in me that needs to be addressed and that it can be. I am very grateful for this little community where I get to ramble on about myself like this and reflect on the things that are most important to me. It is nice to have it.
All mushiness welcome here, my friend. One of my most reliable ways to experience deep gratitude is to cultivate the divine perspective, to see it all from outside of time so you can see it all at once. Thank you for sharing this, it's a reminder to all of us that every moment is sacred in the grand scheme of things.
Ordinary moments at the table. Expressions of gratitude spoken and written. The joy found in just being.
Just being and gratitude might almost be synonymous. 😊
Grateful for the mountain of preparation I’m climbing (taking time out to attend a funeral this morning) and the maelstrom of chaos that will descend on my quiet house as our family gathers. Abundant Love.
I'm sorry for your loss, Joyce, but blessed by your willingness to receive chaos as blessing. I've got a post about chaos and comedy coming in the near future. 😊
This really reminded me to slow down. Be grateful for the little things. At night when I pray I say I am grateful. Not sure I am now. I now will work harder at it. Great post!
Be sure to work easier at it, if you know what I mean, Laurie. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
I'm filled with gratitude for being able to do what I love everyday (flowers) and to share in so many peoples lives their joy, love, sadness, and to know that I have touched someone's heart with a flower.
I get to do this with my family; husband (wholesaler) son, daughter-in-law, (designer), my two grand-daughters that hang at the shop daily and a whole group of employees I call my flower family. Wishing you love in the simple, daily things. Oh, and why I can be grateful, I get to do all of this sober. (22 years)
Beautiful, Marci, what a blessing to be able to practice your passion with your people in that way!
Kelly, on back to back days this week, 11/20-21, I awoke to amazing sunrises visible from our back deck. It was cold and crisp outside, which made me hesitate going out for the full view, but God nudged and I was met with gratitude for His display of color and creativity. I find this same gratitude for you, meeting you at the Apprentice Gathering this year, getting your “John Hancock” in your book for me, The Unhiding of Elijah Campbell. I so connected with Elijah in this wonderful story of relationships and God’s grace. I’d love to read another one of your books, so I throw my name in the hat. Happy Thanksgiving…giving thanks for you and all the relationships that spur you on to love and good deeds (writing).
Our connection at Apprentice Gathering was a highlight of my year, too, Vic. Thank you for sharing your sunrises with us!
My family is about to miss Thanksgiving celebrations tomorrow due to a sick kid, but overall, still feeling grateful. I live close enough to family that this isn't a once a year opportunity- we can all see each other next month. My daughter has a 104 degree fever and is still being as sweet as can be. And we will do our best to make tomorrow special for her in a different way!
You're an amazing mom, and I hope your little one is feeling better!
I am grateful for the cooling air and fresh rain touching the southern U.S. watering the parched ground and my soul. I’m grateful that my college-aged son still likes coming home to be with us. And I’m so grateful to amazing authors on Substack who inspire and teach me.
That college-aged son who still wants to come home resonates deeply, Michelle. Thank you for being here on Substack with me!
This year I am grateful for the many ways that I have had to let go. In so many different ways it has been a year of loss. Like a long winter of lament, bereft of color, yet clear and bright. Sorrow and its accompanying disorientation, the way it wildly spins the compass of my perceived control, also has a sifting effect on the soul and mind. The leaves will come back. Grateful for you, Kelly. Human Thanksgiving to you and yours.
Wow. To be grateful for the way life is teaching you to let go. That is profound and important for all of us to here. Thank you for turning your difficult year into that wisdom for us.
I am grateful for my wife who is embracing the struggle to homeschool our kids, manage our home and be an incredible helper to me. I'm also thankful for a healthy body, one that allows me to push it beyond its comfort zones and lets me live the life I enjoy.
Those are big ones, right in front of us, that we often overlook. Good for you for seeing them, Michael!
Well I am grateful for this poignant, wise timely post Kelly. It does make me think. Especially about watching leaves fall. My home windows all face the street and right behind all the pretty colored trees that I look (no houses blocking my view) at, is a Parkway. And every November the leaves continue to fall until they’re gone and until May I’m looking at a busy parkway. I’ve come to accept the process and even be grateful for each season’s contribution.
Thank you for punctuating our lives with the beauty of your words. This weekend I will attempt to wear my gratitudes like a loose garments rather than the snowsuits I used to put on my boys when they were little. I love this group!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone 🍁🍁🤗🍁🍁
"Wear my gratitudes like loose garments." As always, Marilyn, you have a way with words. This group loves you too!
I am grateful for my family and friends. I am grateful that I succeeded in bringing my spouse Rick’s family back together on holidays. After his Dad died in January 2019 the family fell apart a bit Took 31/2 yrs but it has happened!
If I think I am loosing a friend I do my best to try and control and bring the person back.
Rae, thank you for naming that balance between trying to influence reconciliation and the limits of what we can control in that. We celebrate the coming together of your husband's family with you!
Grateful for the Truths found in Kelly's writings. These truths are changing my life!
Grateful you are here so I can pass the truth I've found on to you, Diana!
I am grateful for every day that my dad is alive. I am grateful for every day that passes, I am grateful for my family and I to be alive and to not have to hide from bombs or terrorists, I am grateful for having access to drinking water, for having food on the table, and a roof, and heat. I am grateful to love and to be loved. I am so grateful for the sun to raise every day...
This is beautiful. We are grateful for something and then take it for granted and want more of something else to feel grateful for. If we can stay rooted in our basic gratitude, all of life becomes a source for it. Thanks for the reminder, Tiphaine!