Daily Question, October 31 What is one memory for which I am forever grateful? 54 Reflections Share 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. Howie Geib9 months agoHowie GeibIn 1981 I was 25 years old, and as a gay man living in Manhattan and very sexually active, I was in the maelstrom of what became known as the AIDS epidemic. At that time we had no name for it. I lost 22 close friends that year. Many more in the coming decade. Later, when HIV was identified and testing became available, several friends of mine got tested, proved positive, and then descended into anxiety and stress, as there really wasn’t a treatment yet. However, in 1987, with the help of a...In 1981 I was 25 years old, and as a gay man living in Manhattan and very sexually active, I was in the maelstrom of what became known as the AIDS epidemic. At that time we had no name for it. I lost 22 close friends that year. Many more in the coming decade. Later, when HIV was identified and testing became available, several friends of mine got tested, proved positive, and then descended into anxiety and stress, as there really wasn’t a treatment yet. However, in 1987, with the help of a physician, I made plans to get tested as now there were regimes in place. Before getting tested I made a plan for the worst case, knowing that there was not an insignificant possibility that I would be paralyzed by a positive result. In those days the test was best taken anonymously as there were still controversies around insurance and so there was a two week delay between taking the test and finding the result. About a week and a half into the two week period, I had made a decision about all the ways I was going to change my life. Giving up my stressful business, finding quality in each hour, being true to my heart. Minor things like that. On the day of my appointment to get the results, walking from the transit stop to the clinic in a cold drizzle on a gray depressing day, suddenly I was struck by a question, seemingly not from me, but from God: “why wouldn’t you do those things, make these changes if your result is negative?” That is a memory I am forever grateful for. I was negative. And walking out of the clinic, standing on the sidewalk, afternoon traffic streaming by, a new life lay ahead. Read More23 Reply Lauryn9 months agoLaurynThank you for sharing 🙏 3 Reply sparrow9 months agosparrow” Giving up my stressful business, finding quality in each hour, being true to my heart. Minor things like that.”… these are not minor changes, dear Howie, not at all. It seems to me that you have grown wise without having to die of it… blessings 7 Reply Christine9 months agoChristineThis is an amazing & inspirational memory, Howie. It’s a reminder to us all to live each day following our heart. Many thanks. 🙏 5 Reply Mike9 months agoMikeThanks for sharing this Howie. That was such a fearful time. I’m grateful you emerged personally unscathed, though certainly not so with the loss of so many friends. 6 Reply Howie Geib9 months agoHowie GeibThanks Mike….it was poignant at the time that my greatest teachers were my dying friends…all of them in their 20’s and shifted magically at their ends into very wise beings…truly both horrific to witness and also, too, stunned by their beauty. Any small courage I can muster is thanks to their witness. There was great loss, but not all is lost as long as I keep these memories alive through how it has manifested in my walk amongst us. 7 Reply Dusty Su9 months agoDusty SuThe focusing that happens at end of life can be incredible and such guide posts to us who remain. Thanks for sharing. I’ve worked a fair bit with those living and dying with HIV throughout the years. So grateful to ARVs. Grateful you are here to tell your story. 3 Reply Mica9 months agoMicaThank you, Howie – what an incredible loss of so many friends. 3 Reply Yram9 months agoYramThanks for sharing and being part of my/our world. The question is spot on. 5 Reply DeVonna9 months agoDeVonnaMy husband and I went to Hawaii to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Not only was this the fulfillment of a life-long dream it also marked an important milestone. Just four years earlier we had been in serious conversations about ending our marriage. We struggled for years with our relationship following the death of our teenaged son. Our different ways of grieving brought us to the very brink of divorce, it was a terrible time in our lives. But one weekend we decided we had invested too m...My husband and I went to Hawaii to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Not only was this the fulfillment of a life-long dream it also marked an important milestone. Just four years earlier we had been in serious conversations about ending our marriage. We struggled for years with our relationship following the death of our teenaged son. Our different ways of grieving brought us to the very brink of divorce, it was a terrible time in our lives. But one weekend we decided we had invested too much in our marriage to let it die with the boy we both loved, so we hung on and fought for each other and our surviving three children. Our beautiful trip to Waikiki Beach was proof that we’d made it, we were in love and celebrating. I’ve never been so happy in my life, honestly. The scenery, the food, the nightlife, we drank it all in! It makes me glow with happiness even now…as we approach our fortieth anniversary. We MADE it! Read More20 Reply Dusty Su9 months agoDusty SuWhat a beautiful testament to love, resilience, and life within and through processing grief. Bless xx 4 Reply Mica9 months agoMicaOh, thank you, DeVonna – death of a child is so often the death of a marriage. My former brother-in-law and his wife went that route, and it was probably a mistake, in hindsight. Congratulations on surviving your loss and saving your marriage. 4 Reply Sandra9 months agoSandraDeVonna what a marvellous memory! Thank you for sharing this. I’m so glad that you made it and wish you many more anniversaries to come ❤️️ 5 Reply Michele9 months agoMicheleMy new memory from last night- spending time with my best friend and my daughter. We went on the best haunted hayride! The long line and wait was worth it. Before the hayride we had homemade appetizers (pepper jellies-outstanding) and a delicious beef stew. I felt love and cared for. Happy Halloween everyone 🎃🖤🧡👻💀 12 Reply Ose9 months agoOseWhen I met someone who is able to truly love and who is inspiring through this capacity to create benevolence, peace and trust into life and in Love in many people. 8 Reply Mica9 months agoMicaThat’s wonderful. Ose – hugs to you 4 Reply Mary Pat9 months agoMary PatThe memory of my late husband. He was not perfect-far from it-but he was my love. And my children, when they were little…so precious…. 7 Reply Dusty Su9 months agoDusty SuFour things. 1. at age 16, the challenge of, “If you are going to throw your life away, why not give it away? 2. at age 30, giving birth to my daughter. 3. in 2004, I bled to death and had an afterlife experience. 4. at age 59, getting an Autism diagnosis. 13 Reply Sandra9 months agoSandraLife-changing memories Dusty Su. I am glad you are here to share the wisdom you have learned 🙏 5 Reply Dusty Su9 months agoDusty SuThank you. It’s such a blessing to be here in this group and in life. Especially during tough Covid times. I dip in and out of both group and life and feel I get so much more than I give. On this gratitude group, there’s beautiful support and focus on the good and that’s something very special Xxx 3 Reply DeVonna9 months agoDeVonnaOh my…I want to hear more about your experience in 2004. Were you in an accident? Was it scary? Peaceful? I’m curious… 3 Reply Dusty Su9 months agoDusty SuI’m writing a 3 piece blog on it. Its abit by bit effort when I have the time. When done, I’ll share. Not scary. Wonderful I was upset to be sent back. 🙂 3 Reply sunnypatti9 months agosunnypattiThere are many, but I’ll have to say the one right now is when I treated myself to my dream surf trip after leaving my ex-husband. I flew to Costa Rica alone and surfed the waves of my dreams for 9 days! It was a great way to kick off my new life 🙂 10 Reply Mica9 months agoMicaHooray, sunnypatti! 4 Reply Yram9 months agoYramWhat good self care! 4 Reply Kevin9 months agoKevinI am forever grateful for the memory and joy of having worked with children and teens within my community for over forty years before retiring six years ago. 10 Reply Carla9 months agoCarlaAn unexpected boisterous greeting of “I’ve been looking for you!” at a potluck community meeting in January 2015, which brought a depth of joy to both our hearts and healing of childhood wounds. 9 Reply Malag9 months agoMalagThe act of remembering is one I am very grateful for. So any memory I can call up is great although my filing system has become less efficient over the years. Long may memory function in whatever quirky way it wants 13 Reply Christine9 months agoChristineMy dear Karel is now one great memory. Everything about him, from him, with him is the most beautiful package I have. His love is always with me. He’s gone, but he’s not gone either. A true love story never ends ❤️. 18 Reply Sandra9 months agoSandraBeautiful, Christine ❤️️ 5 Reply Malag9 months agoMalagThere is such beauty in what you say, Christine. 7 Reply « Previous 1 2 My Private Gratitude Journal Write an entry in your private gratefulness journal Get Started This site is brought to you by A Network for Grateful Living, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. All donations are fully tax deductible in the U.S.A. DONATE https://gratefulness.org/content/uploads/2015/03/GX-Gold-Participant-L.png Community Engagement Guidelines Privacy Policy [email protected] Connect with us on Social Media: © 2000 - 2022, A Network for Grateful Living Website by Briteweb