I am grateful to be 4 weeks past emergency surgery and recovering very well. I am regaining strength, balance, motivation to act on rehabilitation recommendations from my healthcare providers and desire to complete some important projects. Today I will walk outside in the sunshine with my new walker and later use my new electric recliner for rehab. I am grateful for excellent healthcare, family support and new rehab equipment. I begin this summer with renewed appreciation for the gift of life and my responsibility to be a good steward of it – my own life, the life of family and friends and the life of this planet. Deo Gratias!

I have more than enough stuff – the acquisitions of a long life and living 34 years in the same home. At 78-years old, this stuff is a burden, not a blessing. However, when I sift through all the possessions, I find some hold great meaning and value for me. Among these are photos of family, friends, special experiences; books; music; objects from my childhood home or given as gifts to me by loved ones. I will be working on “pruning” the excess stuff for the remainder of this year in preparation for selling our home and moving to a new smaller one. This special time will be one of remembrance and gratitude. I thank God and others for their loving kindness, generosity and the abundant gifts they gave to me. Deo Gracias!

The first stories I remembered were told by my paternal grandmother and father. They spoke of challenge, resilience, humor, adventure, the Old West and achievement. I loved the stories and the storytellers. I love remembering them today. I also heard stories of historical figures and saints in my Catholic schools – role models. I feel challenged and liberated by these stories, not limited. The stories I tell myself about me are similar to the ones I was told. I also tell stories about memorable and rewaring experiences I’ve had. They make me happy. I choose to remember the good, the true and the beautiful and to release or reframe stories that harm me. This conscious practice works well for me. I am grateful for it.

I was fired from a job because I did not do a very important project for the CEO even though I had ample time to do it. I was distracted by the plethora of responsibilities I had and did not prioritize this one at a high enough level. It was the first time I was fired and I felt ashamed. The job loss had very serious financial impacts for my family. I deeply regretted the situation. I was able to accept it because I recognized that the firing was just. I was angry at myself but not at others. I learned more about humility, accountability and the importance of focus. All in all, it was a growthful experience for me and one from which I recovered.

I have been really disturbed by the bitter political polarization in our nation, states, communities, work organizations, places of worship, family and associates. I have personally been distressed by the strong political differences between my nuclear family, a brother-in-law raised in the Mid-West and a cousin raised in the Deep South. In an effort to understand their perspectives, maintain family unity and practice loving kindness toward them, I’ve been reading and reflecting on Colin Woodard’s book American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America (Viking Adult; First Edition, 2011). Woodard informed and enriched my point of view toward my own relatives and others who hold a diametrically different political view from my own. While I don’t agree with them and never will, I am no longer judgmental about their perspectives. This helps me stay in a positive relationship with these family members and that’s my goal. Thank you, Colin Woodard.

I am thankful to God and my parents for my life. I am thankful for my faith, family, friends, teachers and colleagues. I have been accompanied by so many wonderful people throughout my life – people I’ve known in person or virtually through books, media and the internet. They inspire, challenge and encourage me to be the best person I can be at this time in this place. I am thankful for the wonderful pets who shared my life – dogs, cats and horses. I am thankful for nature, the performing arts, education and democracy. I am thankful for food, water, housing, heat and other comforts. I am thankful for my health. I am thankful to be a small part of this magnificent whole. Deo Gratias!

I am filled with wonder when in nature. I feel very close to God and deeply grateful when I experience the Northern Lights, photos of the Cosmos, Princess Louisa Inlet, the Greek Isles, the Gulf & San Juan Islands, Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helen’s, Mt. Baker, the Pacific Ocean, the Olympic, Cascade and Rocky Mountains, California’s Redwood Forest, the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and our US and Canadian national parks, etc. The natural beauty, scale, grandeur and balanced order of these sacred places fills me with wonder, peace and gratitude. They refresh my spirit and draw me closer to our Creator. Deo Gratias!

In the past, I’ve found playfulness and adventure in riding my horses, walking in nature, boating, camping, travel, attending live theatre and concerts and spending time with family and friends. Due to my age – entering the 79th year of my life, minor disabilities, reduced retirement income and the pandemic, these ways of being playful and adventurous needed to be adapted. Now I enjoy being playful and adventurous by viewing British situation comedies, viewing travelogues on TV or the internet, exploring the cosmos and nature through reading and playing with our grand-dog. Sometimes we have video calls and face-to-face visits with family and friends. I remember special places and activities we enjoyed in the past too.