Today I Am Thankful For ............

Today I Am Thankful For

This is a new post on my blog that I am going to update from now until the end of the year. Each day, I am going to post something different that I am thankful for. With the decline in the economy, fires and forces of nature destroying lives and homes; news forecasters always seeming bleak, and new president about to make history, I have decided to try to add a little optimism to life. I used to work for a newspaper, and had always wanted to do a "positive" article, so now I am doing just that (although some of the things I am thankful for will not always make everyone happy, hopefully most will bring back good memories & thoughts). When you read each additional "Today I’m thankful for " update, please take them in the positive, optimistic, manner in which they are written.
So here we go:
Today, Tuesday, November 18, 2008; I am thankful for my great family and friends. I am sure this is at (or near) the top of everyone’s list.

Today, Wednesday, November 19, 2009, I am thankful for the freedom that I have. Although sometimes freedom is taken for granted, I am thankful to be free to do what I want (like writing this blog). I think everyone has some reason to appreciate their freedom.

Today, Thursday, November 20, 2008, I am thankful for fun times. Memories of the fun times in your life make the days that aren’t going so well bearable. Everyone has memories of fun times in their life.

Today, Friday, November 21, 2008, I am thankful for "Fridays". It seems like everyone’s favorite day to wait for is Friday. Friday signifies an end to the work (or school) week for most people and a few days of family and free time. TGIF

Today, Saturday, November 22, 2008 I am thankful for love. I spent the day with one of my favorite people in the world, my grandson, and had such a great day. I am truly thankful for him and for all of the things in life that I love.

Today, Sunday, November 23, 2008, I am thankful for life. Life is what happens between birth and death, and can be both enjoyable and frustrating. Once, I was told that you can determine the quality of your day by the outlook you take, so for today, I am going to be thankful for life and the joy it brings.

Today, Monday, November 24, 2008, I am thankful for change. Change is what keeps life interesting - it also means that even though good times don’t last forever, the bad times won’t either. If life isn’t what you want it to be today, just hang in there, eventually, it will change. I am thankful for the changes in my life, because without change, I would have missed out on many joyous events.

Today, Tuesday, November 25, 2008, I am thankful for beauty. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I believe it is also in the way you think about things. To me beauty not only includes sunsets, oceans, and snow covered landscapes, but also people, places, and things (like a smile from my favorite grandson). Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but it is also everywhere around us. I am thankful for the beauty in my everyday life wherever I chose to see it.

Today, Wednesday, November 26, 2008, I am thankful for hope. No matter what happens in life, hope is what keeps us going, keeps our dreams alive, and keeps us looking forward to the future. I am thankful for hope - and hope that everyone has a wonderful and safe holiday. Over and out until tomorrow (I’ve got cooking to do).

Today, Thursday, November 27, 2008, I am thankful for Holidays. Holidays bring joy and happiness to everyone. It’s a time to enjoy family & friends; be happy for our freedom; enjoy the fun times & cherish the memories; it’s almost Friday; enjoy love; life; and beauty; and hope that the future is bright. In other words, holidays are a combination of the things I am thankful for. Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Today, Friday, November 28, 2008, I am thankful for peace. I am thankful that I live in a land where we have peace. Although our servicemen are involved in military actions in other areas of the world, for the most part, here at home, we live in peace. I think that today, Black Friday, is a good day to be thankful for peace while fighting the shopping crowds. I am thankful for the peace that I have, and wish for peace for the entire world.

Today, Saturday, November 29, 2008, I am thankful for technology. I am thankful for the changes in technology a that allow me to write and publish this blog. Technology has evolved greatly in my lifetime. When I was in school, we did not have computers, and at my first job, the computers that we used to run the business were giant boxes that filled an entire room. I am thankful for the technology that I now use and look forward to the changes in technology in the future.

Today, Sunday, November 30, 2008, I am thankful for health. A few days ago, I was thankful for life, but to expand on the life issue, I am thankful for health. After spending several hours with a close relative in the emergency room, I realized how precious good health is. Too many times, being healthy is taken for granted, and we do not realize how thankful we are for it until it is gone, so for today, I am going to be thankful that I am healthy enough to enjoy life.

Today, Monday, December 1, 2008, I am thankful for entertainment. Entertainment adds spice to our lives and uplifts our moods. Yesterday, I went to see the Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular, and it was spectacular. It put everyone at the show in the Christmas spirit. So today, I am thankful for entertainment rather it’s live or on tv; sports, shows, movies, watching grandchildren in plays or games, or any other form of entertainment, I am glad to have the time to relax and be entertained.

Today, Tuesday, December 2, 2008, I am thankful for enough. Although there are times when I would love to have a lot more (money, time, food, clothing, etc) I am thankful that I have just enough of whatever I need to get by. I can think about the times when I had an abundance of everything, but today, I am thankful for having enough of everything that I need.

Today, Wednesday, December 3, 2008, I am thankful for faith. Everyone has a form of faith, rather it is religious or just a complete trust in something else. Faith is needed to help overcome difficult times, and to keep us trusting in the future. Today, I am thankful for having faith in my life.

Today, Thursday, December 4, 2008 I am thankful for my great internet friends and acquaintances. After spending a couple of exhausting days at the hospital with a family member, I came home last night, thoroughly exhausted and depressed, and was reading some posts on Twitter, and visiting my e-Bay groups, and was reminded how great the people there are. One of the groups I am in, Starting 2 Sell, had chosen me as "Featured Star of the Month" for December. It was just the lift I needed and they will never know how much I appreciate it. The people in this group (and other groups) are such a great bunch of people, many of them donating (thru E-bay groups) to charity auctions, and always helping others. Like others, I have also received much needed advice and optimism (people posting usually don’t know it when they post) from a lot of the posts I have read on twitter, in these groups, and through emails. Keep up those great posts, you never know who you will be helping. So for today, I am extremely thankful for the wonderful internet friends & acquaintances that I have.

Today, Friday, December 5, 2008, I am thankful for protection. It is great to feel protected. It is because of protection that I am late posting this to my blog. Today, I tried to renew my protection program on my computer, and have not been able to connect to the internet due to some problems w/the downloads. I am sure that it is something that I did (although the nice people w/Live Chat would never tell you that), but at least I am back up & running. Anyway, for today, I am thankful for protection (and not just to my computer, but for all of the protection that I have in my life).

Today, Saturday, December 6, 2008 I am thankful for snow. We are experiencing our first real snow today, and the white blanket that is covering everything is so beautiful (I do not have to go out in it though). If you live in an area like I do where the weather changes all of the time, you understand why snow is one of the changes in the weather that I look forward to. The snow like the extreme heat in summer is not something that I would want all the time, but I do look forward to the changes in the seasons, and one of those changes are the snow that comes with the winter weather. If you live in an area like I do, one of our common sayings about the weather is that if you don’t like it, wait a while and it will change. So for today, I am thankful for snow and also thankful that it came on a weekend where a lot of people do not have to travel in it.

Today, Sunday, December 7, 2008, I am thankful for communication. Communication of all kind (verbal, written, newscasts, newspapers, radio, telephone, snail mail (letters), email, twitter, blogs, and many other types) keeps us informed and up to date not only on what is going on in the world, but what is going on with friends and family. With the increased technology in communication, it is easy to follow the lives of others and stay updated on what they are doing even when they are far away. I stay in contact with people who live outside the US (family, exchange students, and others), as well as friends and family in other states & cities, and it is nice to know what is going on in their life. So for today (and during this holiday season when I am in contact with others they I don’t see often), I am thankful for communication which keeps us in touch with life.

Today, Monday, December 8, 2008, I am thankful for quiet. I have just returned home after a very hectic, busy, stressful day, and right now, at this very moment, everything is quiet (except for my fingers pecking on the keyboard). So for today (and at this very moment), I am thankful for the quietness - no noise or disturbances, and for a few peaceful, calm moments.

Today, Tuesday, December 9, 2008, I am thankful for kindness. Kindness is one of those things that we do a lot of times without thinking, and it always makes other people feel better. Being kind is a way to show other that we care. Reading through another blog that I follow (Bylightofmoon), I came across a site that promotes Simply Kind Tuesdays. You can get more information by accesing this website: http://www.on-a-limb.com/simply-kind-tuesdays/ So for today, I am thankful for kindness, and will do something kind for someone else, not just today, but everyday.

Today, Wednesday, December 10, 2008, I am thankful for courtesy. Courtesy used to be a way of life with most people, but today, isn’t as common. In this busy hectic holiday season, I try to be more courteous to people than at any other time of year. With the holidays and the decline in the economy, when you meet people, you never know what is going on in their life, so a little courtesy may just brighten their day. A pleasant smile, thank you, or opening a door for someone doesn’t cost anything, but can bring great joy in someone else’s life. Like kindness, courtesy is priceless. For today, I am thankful for courtesy, rather it is given or received.

Today, Thursday, December 11, 2008, I am thankful for humor. Humor allows us to find the funny side of an experience and to laugh in times of adversity. Without humor, our life would be boring, so for today, I am thankful for humor:)

Today, Friday, December 12, 2008 I am thankful for archives. As I am posting this, I am listening to archives of a PowerSellingMom radio program on BlogTalk radio that I missed earlier today. Archives are a great way to listen to catch up on something that you may have missed at a earlier date, or something that you would like to know from many years before. Archives can also be used to trace family ancestry. For today, I am thankful for archives and all of the information available from them.

Today, Saturday, December 13, 2008, I am thankful for memories. While trying to decide what to blog about, I started thinking about things in my life I should be thankful for, and I started thinking about memories. Although times change, and people come in and out of your life, you still have memories that bring back the thoughts and times of the past. A certain song, smell (walking by a perfume counter and smelling my grandma’s favorite perfume) or other trigger can bring back memories of years gone by, so for today I am thankful for memories.

Today, Sunday, December 14, 2008 I am thankful for . I am leaving this post blank because as I go through today, like every other day, there are many things that I am thankful for. So if you are reading this post, you can take time today, right this minute, to fill in the blank as to what you are thankful for. Think about all you have to be thankful for, enjoy the minute, and have a Happy Day.

Today, Monday, December 15, 2008, I am thankful for advice. I have set a goal of trying to
learn one new thing on the internet per month, and last night as usual when I am trying to set up something new, I received much well and appreciated advice. Advice is out there for all of us,
all we have to do is to ask for it or be open to new ideas. I am going to try in the future to
become one of those helpful people I admire. For today, I am thankful for all of the people who
take time from their busy schedules to offer help and advice to others.

For today, Tuesday, December 16, 2008 I am thankful for surprises. When I woke today, I had multiple sales in my stores which was a first for me and a great surprise. Surprises are a fun thing to give and receive especially when they are unexpected. It is Tuesday (aka Kindness Tuesday), so I am doing something kind for someone today, and maybe it will be a surprise. What will your kind deed be for today..

For Wednesday, December 17, 2008 and Thursday, December 18, 2008 I am thankful for beginnings and endings. I am thankful that everything has a beginning and when it starts we never know what the outcome of it will be. We can only guess and hope for the best. I am also thankful for endings because most things in life also have an ending. If what we are experiencing has a great beginning and great results, then the end comes too soon, but if things are not as bright and cheerful as we like, we can always look forward to the end of it. So as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end, even if we don’t want them too, but all bad things eventually come to an end too. (Sorry, but this is not the end of this post-it still has 13 more entries).

Today, Friday, December 19, 2008, I am thankful for serenity. During this hectic end of the year holiday season, I try to take a few minutes out of my busy day for a little bit of peace, quiet, and calmness so I can get things into perspective, then head back into the busy grind of things. So for today, I am thankful for a few minutes of serenity to help me through the rest of the day.

Today, Saturday, December 20 , 2008, I am thankful for similarities. While going through some pictures to send to my Danish daughter’s husband (a foreign exchange student from several yrs ago), I started to think about how much everyone in the world is alike in some ways. We have had several exchange students over the years, and although there were many differences in our lifestyles and cultures, there were many similar things we both believed in and did. One of the biggest similarities that remind me of this is that my daughters birthday is 10/10 and our exchange student’s birthday is 1/1. Both girls were about the same age and were so much alike. Enough reminiscing...for today, I will just be thankful for similarities.

Today, Sunday, December 21, 2008, I am thankful for attitudes. A positive attitude helps to maintain a positive outlook on life, and helps to achieve goals. So today, I am thankful for attitudes, and will try to maintain a positive attitude.

Today, Monday, December 22, 2008, I am thankful for traditions. This time of year, many people include traditions in their holiday celebrations. This year I am thinking about our original traditions (that I remember as a child), and about new ones that have been added over the years, so for today, I am thankful for the traditions that have been passed down through the years and for the new ones we will start.

Today, Tuesday, December 23, 2008, I am thankful for happiness. Happiness can be found in many different forms, and at this time of the year happiness can be found everywhere. So for
today, I will look for and enjoy the happiness all around me, and because it is Tuesday (aka
Kindness Tuesday), I will do something kind for someone, and hope that it brings happiness
into their life. Have a Happy Day:)

Today, Wednesday, December 24, 2008, I am thankful for opportunities. With the problems in the economy and the problems around the world, opportunities are still out there - all you need to do is to look at life in a positive manner, and take whatever opportunities come your way, so for today, I am thankful for opportunities.
Today, Thursday, December 25, 2008, I am thankful for Christmas. I realize that not everyone is a Christian or celebrates Christmas, but I am thankful for the birth of Jesus and for the joyous holiday season that it brings. Christmas to me is the accumulation of all the things I am thankful for, and on Christmas day, I try to remember all of the good things in life. So for today, I am thankful for Christmas (if you don’t celebrate Christmas, I am sure that you have a special day or time that you celebrate), and I wish you joy and happiness on this (or your) special day.
Today, Friday, December 26, 2008 I am thankful for my grandson. Although I have already posted about being thankful for family and love (and included him in both), I am so thankful to be blessed with this special person in my life. For Christmas, he gave me the greatest gift that I have ever received in my life. His gift was a box full of things that he had made (pictures and notes that he had written to me) and items that were his but also had memories of times we had spent together (seashell from trip to Daytona Beach, baseball cards, marbles, cross (necklace)), and many more items. He wrapped the package himself, and on top of it he attached a bracelet. For the last two weeks, he had told me that he had a special gift for me, and when I unwrapped it on Christmas Day, I realized just how special (and priceless) it was. He is only 9 years old, but has brought so much love, joy and happiness to my life, I can’t seem to remember life without him. So for today (and every other day), I am thankful that I have been lucky enough to be blessed with the greatest grandson on earth.
Today, Saturday, December 27, 2008, I am thankful for joy. Now that the hustle and bustle of the holiday season is winding down (New Years Day is just around the corner) it is a good time to sit back and reminisce about the joy that I have experienced throughout the year. Although there have been a lot of times that weren’t so joyous, if I concentrate on the joyous things, this year hasn’t been all that bad, so for today, I am thankful for joy.
Today, Sunday, December 28, 2008 I am thankful for perception. All through life, everyone has their own perception of situations, and I am thankful for the differences that we all have about our outlook on life and situations. We can each view things in a totally different way, but that doesn’t make anyone right or wrong-it is just their views on life, so for today, I am thankful for everyone’s individual perception on life.

Today, Monday, December 29, 2008 I am thankful for the past. The past is a part of my life that has effected things that happen in the present and will continue to effect things in the future. The past is part of what I have become, and will continue to be. The good (and the bad) experiences that happen in the past are still a very big part of my life, and I am thankful for all of them, and for the changes that they have had on my life. So as the year begins to wind down, I am thankful for the past and all of the memories and lessons I have learned from it.

Today, Tuesday, December 30, 2008, I am thankful for the present. The present time may not be one of the greatest economic times in history, but it is what we have and what we have to deal with. Just as the past will effect our future, so will the present, so I am thankful for the present (remember that "present" also means a gift, so I am thankful for the gift of today). Because this is my last Tuesday thankful blog for 2008, please remember Tuesdays as "Kindness Tuesday", and continue to do something kind for someone each Tuesday. Once again, here is a link to the Kindness Tuesday website http://www.on-a-limb.com/simply-kind-tuesdays/ Have a great Tuesday, and pass along some kindness.

Today, Wednesday, December 31, 2008, I am thankful for the future and for making it through the year 2008. Although the year has brought many challenges, I am thankful that I survived it, and am looking forward to beginning a bright, prosperous, happy new year. This is my last post for this blog and I would like to wish you a bright prosperous, happy new year and hope that 2009 is the year that your dreams come true:) 2009 is going to be fine..............