Gratitude Lounge Welcome! We are glad you are here. This is an open space where everyone belongs, and everyone is welcome. Please introduce yourself as you feel comfortable and join in sharing your experience of grateful living. To get started you might reflect upon questions such as these: What am I grateful for? What is grateful living inspiring me to do? What are some blessings in my life (including ones in disguise)? How am I being supported right now? What connects me to wonder, awe, or a sense of the sacred? You are welcome to include images and links for videos to illustrate your reflections. Honor our Community Terms & Conditions Click here to cancel reply.Please log in or Create a Profile to post a comment. Notify me when someone replies to my comment via e-mail. Mica1 month agoMicaOK – this is probably also ‘Science Humor’ but maybe it will lift your mind to a nice place anyway 🤗😊🙃 4 Reply Anna1 month agoAnnaIt is so nice Mica! We sing in Latin, “Gloria in excelsis” and it is not simple to pronounce the couple “xc” so everyone say it in its own way and it is funny,😂😂 3 Reply Mica1 month agoMicaInteresting, Anna – I guess we all sing it the same, because I didn’t know there were different ways to pronounce ‘excelsis’. And when I studied Latin in high school, we didn’t speak it 🙂 The first few times I saw Gloria in Excel sheets, my mind would sing and sing, ‘Glo-o-o-o-oria, in excelsis De-e-o’, but now it doesn’t do that 🙁 2 Reply Anna1 month agoAnnaDuring Christmas time, we sing Vivaldi Gloria and another one, maybe an ancient English melody. And you dear Mica, when did you sing it? Ah, they both are not easy to sing🤗 3 Reply Mica1 month agoMicaThank you, Anna – It was so long since I could remember hearing the Gloria that I did’t even know when or where I was. … But my computer is just now playing the Vivaldi one, with The Knights w/ San Francisco Girls Chorus. I’m grateful for your question and soo uplifted! 3 Reply Holly in Ohio1 month agoHolly in Ohiohahaha.. it took me a moment! 😀 3 Reply Drew Blanton1 month agoDrew BlantonThis article I read today mentions Kristi Nelson. https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/08/tragic-optimism-opposite-toxic-positivity/619786/?utm_source=pocket_mylist 3 Reply Holly in Ohio1 month agoHolly in OhioThat article is fascinating! Thank you so much for posting the link. I have always had much respect for Victor Frankl, and now I have yet another reason. 2 Reply Mica1 month agoMicaThank you, Drew! I love articles from The Atlantic, tho they’re often longer than my attention span. I’ll read it now 🙂… Tragic optimism, a nice short column. Then I checked out “Sit with Negative Emotions” 😟😫😢- also useful – and “New Year’s Resolutions that will actually lead to Happiness” = FORGIVENESS and GRATITUDE! 3 Reply Mike S1 month agoMike SIt’s good to be back home in Beaufort South Carolina after two weeks away visiting my son in Seattle. I’m returning to very warm weather and plenty of rain. 6 Reply Palm1 month agoPalmIt must feel good to be back home, Mike. Glad you’re back safe 3 Reply Mica1 month agoMicaThis isn’t the file I was looking for, but I’ll post it anyway. Maybe I can find the file I was looking for and post it tomorrow 🙂 7 Reply Drew Blanton1 month agoDrew BlantonIt may not be your file, but it’s funny. 3 Reply Mica1 month agoMicaThank you, Drew – I’ll post another one now, which is also not the one I was remembering… Happy Day to you🤗😊 2 Reply Mike S1 month agoMike SCute. Thanks 2 Reply Holly in Ohio1 month agoHolly in Ohio😀 5 Reply Mica1 month agoMicaQuite fine, Holly! e = mc squared. Einstein wrote something interesting about pandemics after World War II, when atomic bombs were the big crisis. He wrote that, if the crisis were something like an epidemic of the bubonic plague, it would be better, because then the world would just get together to deal with the problem, "instead of trying to handle the matter in such a way that their own nation would be spared [and] the next one would be decimated". Maybe we can appreciate that thought, as co...Quite fine, Holly! e = mc squared. Einstein wrote something interesting about pandemics after World War II, when atomic bombs were the big crisis. He wrote that, if the crisis were something like an epidemic of the bubonic plague, it would be better, because then the world would just get together to deal with the problem, “instead of trying to handle the matter in such a way that their own nation would be spared [and] the next one would be decimated”. Maybe we can appreciate that thought, as covid goes on – and on? Read More2 Reply Holly in Ohio1 month agoHolly in OhioThis morning I am grateful to be home after our short but tiring trip. I did much cleaning yesterday so the house smells fresh and I love it when it is like that. It is good to sit in this clean soft chair and watch the sun coming up through my living room windows while it is still quiet, except for the crickets which sing with a steady hum. The day is not decided yet but it will be a mix of some work and fun, and connecting with others, and I look forward to it. Good morning everyone. I hope...This morning I am grateful to be home after our short but tiring trip. I did much cleaning yesterday so the house smells fresh and I love it when it is like that. It is good to sit in this clean soft chair and watch the sun coming up through my living room windows while it is still quiet, except for the crickets which sing with a steady hum. The day is not decided yet but it will be a mix of some work and fun, and connecting with others, and I look forward to it. Good morning everyone. I hope your days are wonderful! Read More6 Reply Sri1 month agoSriThank you. Thank you. Thank you 5 Reply Annie1 month agoAnnieHi everyone ! Just drop ping in to say hello. I've been stuck at home resting for over a week. Why ?? because I was not paying attention to my surroundings and off a curb with my trusty ...love/hate walker....fell on the pavement. It's only by the grace of God I didn't brake any bones. However I ended up with cellulitis in my left leg. (big ouch) A lot of swelling and scrapped up bloody mess. On the positive side of down time ...more time to do my artwork and prayer time. Hope you all are doin...Hi everyone ! Just drop ping in to say hello. I’ve been stuck at home resting for over a week. Why ?? because I was not paying attention to my surroundings and off a curb with my trusty …love/hate walker….fell on the pavement. It’s only by the grace of God I didn’t brake any bones. However I ended up with cellulitis in my left leg. (big ouch) A lot of swelling and scrapped up bloody mess. On the positive side of down time …more time to do my artwork and prayer time. Hope you all are doing well. Blessings Read More5 Reply Holly in Ohio1 month agoHolly in OhioWhat kind of artwork are you doing, Annie? 1 Reply Annie1 month agoAnnieHI Holly , My style is…hmm I call it blind art. Since I am visually impaired…Let’s just say it’s unique, whimsical and created with much love. I tried to upload one on here but it didn’t work. Maybe I can copy and paste. I am trying to set up a shop on Etsy. If you have Facebook my page is Kendra’s Rainbow Art by Annie. Take a look and LIKE it if you would please. 2 Reply Holly in Ohio1 month agoHolly in OhioI will definitely! Annie, you might want to look up the life of Georgia O’Keefe. She is of course best known for her landscape paintings in soft pastels, but what you might not know is she became visually impaired later in life… so she switched to making sculptures a person could FEEL with their hands! I always thought that was very cool. 🙂 1 Reply Holly in Ohio1 month agoHolly in OhioI’m having trouble finding your art on Etsy. What is the exact name of the shop, please? 2 Reply Ose1 month agoOseDear Annie, I am so sorry for you! Recently, while finding back to some innocent playfulness, I stumbled again, not aware that there could be anything to fall over in my play. We have to take life as it is, and may be, playfulness isn´t something I should access at my age, as untrained as it is due to life´s course. In any way, take care, and I hope you will be well soon, dear friend. Blessings to you, too. 4 Reply Annie1 month agoAnnieDear Ose, I am feeling much better…swelling now only my foot and ankle…It’s still tender though. I am tired of being cooped up. The sun is shining but tomorrow we are getting tropical storm Henri. So I will continue to be cooped up a bit more. One more canvas to paint. I must make a trip to Michael’s this week coming up. 🙂 2 Reply Mica1 month agoMicaOh, Ose, don’t you think playfulness is something we should access at any age?? I’m not planning to ever stop being playful 😈 4 Reply Anna1 month agoAnnaI agree with you dear Mica! 4 Reply Ose1 month agoOseCompletely agree, dear Mica and I hope for you that you will never stop being playful, seems the little devil loves it also 🙂 Play, music and dance through the day sometimes takes away the whys and ifs of my too much of a dutyconscious and sometimes too fearful mind💃🎈🎃. Thanks for the reminder to dare and just be! 💜 4 Reply Holly in Ohio1 month agoHolly in OhioOw! I’m glad it wasn’t worse! 3 Reply Palm1 month agoPalmOuch, Annie. Rest well and enjoy creating. I’ll be thinking of you. I’m glad it wasn’t something worse. Blessings to you too 3 Reply Ose1 month agoOseRandomly seen in a moment – as if saying hey, I´m your friend, lets play and be together! Yes! and thank you! 5 Reply Anna1 month agoAnna😃🥰 Dear Ose, so nice!!! And the story is delightful! 3 Reply Holly in Ohio1 month agoHolly in Ohiohahahaha! It is funny. It looks like it can walk and talk, doesn’t it? 3 Reply Palm1 month agoPalm🙂 I love it, Ose, what is it? 4 Reply Ose1 month agoOseLifting the secret, inside you would find a UFO disguised as a musical instrument that travels through space and time while it has just taken a break to rest a little on a three-legged stool with his friendly protector who was speaking to me while having taken a little shelter under his raincoat while waiting to take off into the universe! 4 Reply Palm1 month agoPalmHaha! My daughter will love this story, we often play spaceship games:) Thank you, dear Ose 4 Reply Holly in Ohio1 month agoHolly in OhioI think it is a charcoal grill, Palm, only it has a rain cover on it, too. 4 Reply Palm1 month agoPalmThanks, Holly, and yes, I hadn’t realised about the “legs”:) 4 Reply Holly in Ohio1 month agoHolly in Ohiogood morning! 6 Reply Mica1 month agoMicaThank you, Holly – I tried to find spiritual humor on google, and I could only find 1 uplifting one, which hopefully I’ll find again in my screenshots for posting. But we can post lots of quotes about happiness and such 🙂 It’s fun to see more ‘life’ in the Lounge again 🙂 3 Reply Holly in Ohio1 month agoHolly in OhioI don’t know if you can do this on your laptop, but if I right-click on a photo on mine, it gives me the option, “copy image address,” and then after clicking that, I click the “Choose Files” on our posts here, and just paste the image address into that and then post. It takes about 30 to 60 seconds to go through and I don’t see the image in the post until after I post it. Anyway, that might be another option for folks to paste images here if they wish to. 2 Reply Mica1 month agoMicaThank you, Holly – my problem is that mine are screen shots, so I need to crop them all first. But you inspired me to post 1 cropped screen shot just now 🙂 2 Reply Anna1 month agoAnnaThank you Holly! 5 Reply Mica1 month agoMicaThere shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart. CELIA LAIGHTON THAXTER I liked today’s quote, by a woman from the 1800’s whom I’d never heard of. 4 Reply Palm1 month agoPalmThank you, dear Mica. I’d missed it 3 Reply Holly in Ohio1 month agoHolly in OhioInteresting. I found this about her:Celia Thaxter (née Laighton; June 29, 1835 – August 25, 1894) was an American writer of poetry and stories. For most of her life, she lived with her father on the Isles of Shoals in his Applegate Hotel. Notable works: An Island Garden, Among the Isles of Shoals, The Sandpiper, A Memorable Murder Died: August 25, 1894 (aged 58); Appledore Is… Born: Celia Laighton; June 29, 1835; Portsmouth, NH.. Spouse: Levi Thaxter (m. 1851)Very interesting. I...Interesting. I found this about her:Celia Thaxter (née Laighton; June 29, 1835 – August 25, 1894) was an American writer of poetry and stories. For most of her life, she lived with her father on the Isles of Shoals in his Applegate Hotel. Notable works: An Island Garden, Among the Isles of Shoals, The Sandpiper, A Memorable Murder Died: August 25, 1894 (aged 58); Appledore Is… Born: Celia Laighton; June 29, 1835; Portsmouth, NH.. Spouse: Levi Thaxter (m. 1851)Very interesting. I will have to look her up. Also, I used to live in two places she did, Portsmouth, NH, and Kittery Point, and Kittery Point, ME is a very small place, only about 2000 people.I was away for a couple of days, Mica. I would have missed this quote if you had not mentioned her, so thank you! Read More2 Reply Mica1 month agoMicaThank you, Holly – it’s fun to read about a grateful heart from so long ago. And it’s fun to learn about yet another woman – I learn about so many here in the daily quotes. 2 Reply Holly in Ohio1 month agoHolly in OhioOops, I meant to leave a picture of her. She was very pretty, but I noticed she looks a little unhappy in all her photos, with the downturn of her mouth. Interesting face, though. 3 Reply Mica1 month agoMicaAh, but in the case of my mother, at least, smiling was frowned upon. In Ghana, too, the people from the US had to encourage the kids to smile instead of using the serious face that they thought was appropriate for photos. I have a photo of my mother, her sister, and her parents. Her sister has a big smile, but the other 3 have serious faces. 2 Reply Holly in Ohio1 month agoHolly in OhioInteresting. I bet photography was considered special. I remember a line in a Jane Austin novel (Pride and Prejudice, I think) where the heroine is accused of, “smiling too much” and that was before photography. I think in old England smiling was considered a sign of “poor breeding.” I’m glad we are past that now. 😀 1 Reply Holly in Ohio1 month agoHolly in OhioHello, I hope everyone is well this fine Wednesday evening! 3 Reply Palm1 month agoPalmPrayer Tuesday blessings 🙏 4 Reply Ose1 month agoOseBlessings may be with you all, dear friends. Happy to see you here today, dear Palm, dear Anna and dear Pilgrim. 4 Reply Pilgrim1 month agoPilgrimAnd you, as well, dear Ose! 3 Reply Ose1 month agoOseThank you dearly, dear Pilgrim. 2 Reply Anna1 month agoAnnaBlessings to you dear Palm! 4 Reply Pilgrim1 month agoPilgrimAnd to you, dear Palm! Thank you. 5 Reply Drew Blanton1 month agoDrew BlantonHere’s my latest drawing. It’s a bright bow tie. 6 Reply Carla1 month agoCarlaDrew, this is beautiful! Bold, playful & creative. Thank you 4 Reply Mica1 month agoMicaFun – thanks, Drew – it reminds me of the art my Aunt Margaret made 🤗😊 2 Reply Cody1 month agoCodyKeep drawing! Looks joyful! 3 Reply Anna1 month agoAnnaDear Drew, it inspires a sense of feast! 3 Reply Palm1 month agoPalmThank you Drew, it reminds me of a butterfly 😊 3 Reply Holly in Ohio1 month agoHolly in OhioI love it. It is so happy. 2 Reply Anna1 month agoAnnaHello everybody! I will post a photo for Palm, but I would like to give a photo of peace for each of you. I was there two hours ago, in this hot mid-August. This is a gem, for me, and I’m sure for Palm too. Rebuilt after a terrible earthquake in 2009, it was founded in the 13th century. Grateful for this gems in a wonderful landscape, my warm embrace, dear friends! 5 Reply Palm1 month agoPalm❤️❤️🌸🌸 Church of Collemaggio! Thank you, dear Anna. I got goose bumps. I hope you are feeling welcome, 4 Reply Pilgrim1 month agoPilgrimBeautiful, Anna. Thank you! 4 Reply Holly in Ohio1 month agoHolly in OhioThat is so nice to see, Anna, and so nice of you to share! 🙂 3 Reply Mica1 month agoMicaThank you, Anna! It’s beautiful. Where is it? I love the mirroring of the rose windows in the arches over the doors and the pattern on the walls. Such a treat 😊 3 Reply Anna1 month agoAnnaCara Mica, it is a church in L’Aquila, a town in central Italy. It is called Basilica di Collemaggio and was founded by a Pope, Celestino the fifth, who was such a humble man that he decided to renounce his election and to be a simple monk forever. 5 Reply Mica1 month agoMicaThank you, dear Anna, for the photo and the story about Celestino the fifth. And greetings to Palm ✋ 4 Reply Palm1 month agoPalmHi Mica 👋🏻 Thank you. I was born in this city and my mother used to work close to this church as a nurse at a hospital for mental health patients, with the same name Hospital of Collemaggio 😊 3 Reply GratefulOne1 month agoGratefulOneI love today’s word of the day: If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work. THICH NHAT HANH I will try to live this today and every day 6 Reply Mica1 month agoMicaYes, GratefulOne – I read the beginning part, about being “peaceful and happy” and thought it was not a quote I needed to add to my gratefulness doc, but then – “not only we, but everyone will profit from it. This is the most basic kind of peace work.” – Wonderful! It’s in my gratefulness doc. And of course Thich Nhat Hanh is a wonderful teacher [but I figured he was already in my gratefulness doc]. 2 Reply GratefulOne1 month agoGratefulOneHi again Mica, I like the idea of a gratefulness doc. Cool! I have been collecting good quotes – grateful and otherwise – and putting them in email. This seems like a good practice. Glad that you are doing this as well. 3 Reply Mica1 month agoMicaShe laid an egg! I hope one of the mourning doves gets back to the nest soon – 4 Reply Holly in Ohio1 month agoHolly in OhioThat is so wonderful, Mica! 😊 2 Reply Mica1 month agoMicaSadly, it’s an egg that isn’t going to hatch. I was worried about how long it took, yesterday morn, before anyone was sitting on the nest. Today I checked before opening the blinds and scared away a crow! I’d wondered, yesterday, how the little stone Nandi bull had fallen over, on the pot next to the nest, and now I know. So be it. Or, Om Tat Sat. 2 Reply Holly in Ohio1 month agoHolly in Ohioaw! Well, such are the cycles of nature. It is difficult to feel the same fondness for a crow, lol, but they have their place, too, and they can be comical sometimes. My neighbor feeds Blue Jays, which are very much like crows in size and behavior. At first I didn’t like them, but after years of watching them in the morning when he feeds them peanuts, I can appreciate them. 2 Reply Holly in Ohio1 month agoHolly in OhioOH MY GOSH, Serafina! That story about the girl with gifts from crows is fabulous!!! I love that! I did once get a gift of 3 ears of popcorn from a racoon once…. but they stole them from my neighbor’s garden! Lol 0 Reply Serafina1 month agoSerafinaA colleague of mine shared this with us…it was fascinating! ‘The girl who gets gifts from birds’ https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-31604026 2 Reply Mica1 month agoMica'They' is back on the nest now. Brave dove! The crow was scary even for big me. I can't tell males from females - my bro sent info about males having pink on their heads, but I still can't even tell one dove from another. I'll think I've identified one by its spot, but the feathers seem to ruffle and then I don't know any more. Eastern blue jays are spectacular birds - I'd enjoy having them around. A Stellar Jay stole a peanut butter sandwich from my son when he was quite young, eating alone on ...‘They’ is back on the nest now. Brave dove! The crow was scary even for big me. I can’t tell males from females – my bro sent info about males having pink on their heads, but I still can’t even tell one dove from another. I’ll think I’ve identified one by its spot, but the feathers seem to ruffle and then I don’t know any more. Eastern blue jays are spectacular birds – I’d enjoy having them around. A Stellar Jay stole a peanut butter sandwich from my son when he was quite young, eating alone on our picnic table in the back yard. Read More2 Reply Mica1 month agoMicaIt’s a slow day – I just captured a bunch of screenshots from facebook.. 5 Reply Palm1 month agoPalmLol Mica. I showed my daughter because she loves butterflies, she said “ah, I’ve seen that one’ 3 Reply Mica1 month agoMicaThat sounds like a daughter 🙂 3 Reply Holly in Ohio1 month agoHolly in OhioNow I know what you look like, too! 😀 2 Reply Mica1 month agoMica“Oh, My!”, as my daughter is fond of saying – 2 Reply Mike S1 month agoMike SGosh, I came out to Seattle to visit my son and escape the heat of South Carolina only to find that there’s 90° weather here also it hasn’t rain for almost 2 months. 2 Reply Pilgrim1 month agoPilgrimMy daughter in Seattle mentioned today that there is usually no rain at this time of year. No wonder forest fires are a huge worry! 1 Reply Mike S1 month agoMike SRecently that’s the case. But years ago we had more rain during the summer when they do now. It’s just another alarming fact of climate change. 1 Reply Pilgrim1 month agoPilgrimYes, Mike, so true. 1 Reply Holly in Ohio1 month agoHolly in OhioYes, where is everybody? No happy hour anymore? Has anyone heard of Laughter Yoga? I saw a video once of a large circle of people coming together daily to laugh. Maybe our lounge could be a little like that…Here it is: 2 Reply Mike S1 month agoMike SWhat a great video. Thanks for sharing. Yes I have heard of laughter yoga, though I’ve never done it. 2 Reply Mica1 month agoMicaThank you, Holly! I did laughter yoga once in Yogaville, but it wasn’t as fun as that. We just rolled around on the floor and made laughing sounds. .. But even just making laughing sounds has some benefit 🙂 2 Reply Pilgrim1 month agoPilgrimI expect people are venturing back “into the world,” often one step at a time, to see how it feels. May we honor their journey. And if I was new here and read that the place is boring, see that the bulk of posts are written by the same people, I might stay away and stick with only the Practice page. Variety is the spice/gift of life. And Gratitude is the central thesis here.
