It seems like I wrote October's Gratitude Circle's post only yesterday. November seems to have passed in the blink of an eye! I confess (I seem to be doing a lot of that these days!) there were days when I had to wonder what day it was. I felt like that man on the horse, who had no idea where he was going.
I accomplished a lot, or so it seemed. I did make it a point to write down, on a daily basis, the things that made me smile, things that made me happy, and things I was grateful for. I focused on finding the silver lining all the time. And lemme tell you, sometimes it is not so easy.
Luckily for me, there's one advice from my mom I have learned to follow-looking on the bright side. I am blessed with a partner who is especially expert at that.
The learning throughout November, was this:
Present moment, perfect moment
Seriously, no matter what life throws at us, the one precious thing we always have is the present moment. Once it passes, it is gone forever. It is up to us to commemorate it, cherish it, enjoy it. And that's what I keep in mind, always. My Mom always loved to say this:
"Enjoy the present perfect. Ignore the past continuous. Why be tense?"
And that always cracked me up, because I would keep thinking of grammar. Also, very tough to argue with my Mom.
Here are the highlights from my gratitude journal for November.My son turned 20. No matter how many times I say or think it, I still can't get over the fact that this cheerful baby who has filled our lives with love has grown up. It seems like I blinked and he turned 20. I felt sad he wasn't home with us. But of course I consoled myself that he'd be home soon. He's coming home on Saturday-the day after tomorrow! So grateful for that!
I asked him what he had planned for his birthday, expecting to hear about perhaps a party with his friends. But he told me that he was going to give the hostel workers a treat. Can you imagine how I felt? He gathered them together and went and got snacks. And sent me photos of them, along with selfies with them. My heart swells with pride. What a chip off the old block! Grateful to be his mom!
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Three weeks ago, I had an unexpected trip to my favorite city for a health writers' convention. It was a fantastic three days. I had a great time meeting old friends. The bonus was a visit to Golconda fort, one of my favorite haunts. I have such fabulous memories. So grateful for this wonderful interlude! I actually clicked an impromptu selfie-so happy was I!
On the work front, I am excited that the two books I finished editing have gone to print. Almost like giving birth, I tell you! What a feeling! I've been editing for more than a year now, but each time a book is ready to be published, the feeling is priceless! So grateful to do work I enjoy!
I am also looking forward to a new client in the offing. It is something I've dreamed of doing, and I can't wait to get started. Thank you, Universe! Or rather, thank you Grandma! She taught me to always send out happy thoughts and visualize outcomes.
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Our hospital visit saga continues. My husband's dental treatment goes on...and now, an unexpected root canal has been advised. Sigh. This too shall pass, I s'pose. Grateful to have access to medical care. Also, I am secretly bugged that the hospital always writes prescriptions for items that are never available at the local pharmacy and then, finding an identical composition becomes a project. Bah! What can I say? Grateful for a partner who takes everything in his rather long stride with a big grin.
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I am grateful to Vanita who is always around to listen. She always has my back-whether I need a shoulder to cry on, rant or need techie stuff on the blog-she's always there to for me, no matter what she is going through. I am so lucky to have her in my life.
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And of course, I've been having internet woes. I have wisely realized that there's no point freaking out. So I simply shut down my computer and attended to things offline.
There's always cleaning to do.
Then, the decluttering.
I am still working on the bookshelf wall-haven't been able to do it because of the hospital visits taking up so much time. Just imagining it is so motivating!
If the internet situation continues, I have a good mind to paint one room. I've painted two walls in my kitchen. Not a great job this time, but at least it has a fresh look! And slowly I will finish the rest of it.
Thanks to being disconnected, I was more connected with the things I enjoy-I was binge-reading, and even caught parts of some movies. Yes, I am a total surfer! I also watched a fantastic TV series. Lots of music, too, but that's something I do anyway-except now, a lot more. Grateful for those fantabulous speakers!
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Oh! November is also NaNoWriMo - National Novel Writing Month. I almost decided to skip it, recalling how I lost all my data when my hard disks crashed that fateful March day. But then, I shook off the momentary feeling of hesitation and decided to do it. I validated at 103,293 words. The working title is "Let's show diabetes who's boss" For diabetics, by a diabetic. I am super-thrilled with this. I started with a different idea, but this one was literally making my brain burst, so I just had to work on it! Wish me luck! Grateful to be gifted a good attitude-I am indebted to my Mom!
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Ah, my list wouldn't be complete without mentioning the loads of laughter I am treated to every day by a certain young lady next door. She's all of nine months old and charms me with her sudden smile! Their apartment is next door and when I am in my kitchen, I enjoy the family's conversations interrupted by the baby's shenanigans. What a blessing! Grateful for the joy!
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There's so much more! I am going to stop here now, though, because I am eager to know how your November went.
What are you grateful for?Thank you for your presence here today!