Blessings are oftentimes not valued till they are gone.--Thomas Fuller
It's Monday, which means another post of some of my blessings and things I'm thankful for over this past week! It's been a hectic week with an unexpected trip thrown in, so it's good to get back to my regular life and posting schedule! You can read my previous Thankfulness Project Post here (you can get background information to my Thankfulness Project from this link as well).
So, with that being said, here are a few of the things that I'm thankful for over the past week:
- Doing Things That "Scare" Me: You'll have to click on the link to read my entire post based around this quote by Eleanor Roosevelt. Because of everything going on in Greece right now (google news "Greece" and you can read what's going on if you're interested!), it was neat to be able to stand there in person and get to see part of the country's history playing out. What a neat experience!
- Fantastic Fridays/ Life's Tiny Delights: While I'm trying to work on my title for my Friday posts, you can read this past Friday's post at the link above to get the background on this if you're interested! I feel thankful that I've started the practice of bookending my week with my Thankfulness Project posts on Monday and my Life's Tiny Delights post on Fridays. I don't think that we're often mindful enough of our blessings and the joys we've been given, and life quickly passes us by. I think it's a crucial practice to develop in the process of increasing wellness and mental health.
- My Health: I spent this weekend at a nursing home (post to come on this soon!), which naturally lead to me being around a lot of people who can no longer live their life the way they used to. I'm so thankful that I'm healthy and strong enough to be independent and take care of my life. Again, I feel like we often take this for granted (I know I do!), and that's unfortunate. While I complain sometimes about unloading my dishwasher or having to dust (to give 2 examples!), I also realize that I have the ability to do these things for myself, and ultimately I'm so thankful for that. This weekend put that in perspective for me.
- Social Support: We each struggle with things, whether big or small, in our daily living. Life can be hard enough on it's own, and it's wonderful when we have friends to help carry the burden and support us through whatever pain, suffering, or frustration that we experience. Due to the events of this weekend (again, the nursing home), I've felt so thankful to have a number of people there for me, supporting & encouraging along the way. We all need to feel like we're being cheered on at certain points in life, don't we? :)
- Yoga: I've had a lot of neck and back pain that has turned into bad headaches or migraines over the last 10-12 days, and yoga has done a good job of relieving some of that pain. Not only physical wellness, but it helps with mental wellness as well! I look forward very much to my yoga days, and I'm thankful that at this point I have the opportunity and ability to take these classes!
Ok, enough with me now! What I'd like to know from you:
How was your weekend? What are your blessings from the last week?
since my daughter married 2 weeks ago i've been in a funk. i feel like something/someone has died. this is unrealistic of course, but the thought did pop into my head. after awhile the sadness diminished as i am happy for her and her husband and the path they both are on (medical field). days later i had to put our 13 yr old dog down (by myself) and that about broke my heart. she had been such a supportive and loyal companion. when i was hospitilized for depression (suicidal thoughts not attempt) i was released and came home no better off. the meds hadn't had time to work and i laid in bed most days and was up for nothing, no one, no sound, no tv...just silence and my dog. she stayed with me every minute. a few weeks later, i made an attempt. i even brought the dog with me (in a bathroom, i was not about to cause her harm) long story short, i awoke and i wasn't dead. I went to the psych ward again and got on the right meds and after a few months life began to turn around. my dog stayed by me as always. that was 6 yrs ago. it has dawned on me that i was as unable to save her as she would have been to save me. i had to be the grim reaper and take her to be put down. that's why my heart is broke and why the tears have come and gone over 2 weeks tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI thought i had depression licked but it lies beneath the surface cunning and baffling (to steal from AA). as for my blessings, i have a family that provokes me and loves me regardless. they think i'm fine but they can't feel what i feel. i wear my heart on my sleeve and sometimes that is fine, other times it's an anchor pulling me under. that's it. that's how i feel.
I'm thinking it's time for me to make one of these lists since I enjoy reading yours so much each week!
ReplyDelete@Jessica- Thanks:) Getting into this practice has been shown to make a difference in mood, and after doing it myself I definitely believe it:)
ReplyDeleteI love that you do this weekly. It may become a regular feature on Saturdays too. Thanks for sending me the link!
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