Drops of Gratitude

I just returned from Chicago where my family remains and I had the chance to take the train, as I so love to do. It's about an hour ride so I can relax and this time when I flew in I brought with me some 10 inches of snow and I was soo excited that I finally got to see, feel and live a week of life in the snow. I apologized to the locals who were grumbling about the weather but during one trip back to the city, I looked out the window and saw a dog trying to catch a shovel of snow that it's owner kept tossing. I was so excited I stood up and pointed at what I was seeing and the train full of a captive audience looked where I was pointing and it made a lot of us smile.
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Quoting ArguingWAristotleTiff

Drops of Gratitude that you share here can range from a feeling provoked in you, an action that made you happy, something someone said, a picture of that someone, the list can go on and on and I hope it does because too often in life we focus on the negative that happens to us, without offering our same focus on gratitude and the things in life we are grateful for.

Gratitude is my favorite emotion. I sometimes wonder if one of the reasons we have God is that people need someone to be grateful for for this world we get to live in. I started a discussion a little while ago about my favorite sources of information - Google Earth, Wikipedia, the Whole Earth Catalog. There are people out there, a lot of them, who want to share what they know. I know how it feels - it's almost a compulsion. They need to make others see what they do. It's pure generosity with no ulterior motive. Maybe Wikipedia is the best example. I feel grateful when people teach me things. Help me know things. There are people like that on this forum.

What an excellent thread. I hope I can contribute soon. Gratitude isn't one of my strong suits.

I left out the source of gratitude that has meant the most to me. Libraries in:
Seaford DE
Easton MD
Martinsville VA
Cambridge MA
Rutland VT
Boston MA
Holliston MA

[added later] I just thought of one of the things I like best about physical libraries. It's lost to some extent now that I get a lot of my books on Amazon or by ordering on-line from other library's through my libraries on-line borrowing system. I used to love to wander the stacks of the library. I would unfocus my eyes and just walk up and down the stacks scanning the books waiting until one jumped out at me. Then I would pick it up, take a look, and decide if I wanted to read it. If not, I just continued the process. Feels like exploring.

I'm grateful for the fact I live in the Netherlands as opposed to almost every other country in the world. We could do with a bit more sun and warmer summers though but global warming is fixing that within my lifetime so I'll be able to retire at the Dutch riviera.

When my son was 3, he wandered off at a pool. I noticed him missing and found him at the bottom of the pool flailing his arms but holding his breath. I jumped in in my clothes and raised him over my head. Not a week goes by that I don't think about that. He's 18 now. Every day has been a gift.

Reply to Hanover

:pray: :pray: :pray:

Quoting Benkei

but global warming is fixing that within my lifetime

So is rising ocean levels. The Dutch Riviera will be in Belgium. More gratitude.

I am grateful for my wife of 40 years who is my companion in my life's journey and with whom I share.

@Rich :heart: :heart: :heart:

Reply to Hanover great story. And congrats with starting on your wel deserved rest from raising him now that he's an adult.

Quoting Benkei

great story. And congrats with starting on your wel deserved rest from raising him now that he's an adult.

Benkei, you just wrote a "great story" about some kind of "rest" that happens when you child turns 18!
Good luck with the idea that you will ever feel "rested" again. :rofl:

Reply to ArguingWAristotleTiff another benefit from being liberal, we kick them out of the nest at 18 and if they fly they fly, if not, so what?

Reply to Benkei Sure, but the cradle to grave protections afforded by the government provide a safety net if they don't fly. Here, you sort of hit the ground.

I am grateful that I was able to talk to each of my parents yesterday on my birthday. Turning 48 is a bit harder than I thought as I believe another 48 is not in my future but my being able to call each parent and them being there to answer is something I am so very grateful for. :heart:

Quoting Benkei

global warming is fixing that within my lifetime so I'll be able to retire at the Dutch riviera.

If you don't get swept away by the flood.

I am grateful that I have three very close friends that don't leave me even when the depression hits hard and things get rough.

Reply to Lone Wolf not a lone wolf then

Reply to CuddlyHedgehog Was when I made the account lol.

Reply to Lone Wolf Nice.

I am grateful to know that Lone Wolf no longer feels alone. :hearts:

I expressed gratitude to some posters for their company over the years and their efforts in educating me; I missed a few I'd like to draw special attention to but forgot at the time:

@noAxioms,@Andrew M,@andrewk,@jamalrob,@Srap Tasmaner,@Pierre-Normand,@fishfry,@Banno,@'sheps' (miss them),

there are doubtless some people I've forgotten.

Reply to fdrake Honored to be on that list, but we both know I learned more from you than you did from me.

Reply to ArguingWAristotleTiff Ya, even when I do feel alone, I know they aren't going to leave and they will be there as far as it is humanly possible.

Reply to Lone Wolf A couple of good friends in life are a treasure to hold with both hands~

Reply to ArguingWAristotleTiff It sounds a bit funny considering they are all guys, but hey lol.

Reply to Lone Wolf :joke:

I am grateful for you, my family here. :heart:

I'm grateful I can make fun of this pansy bullshit thread and tiff will still forgive me for the tasteless joke. Here's to the gall with the biggest heart in this forum.

Reply to Benkei Cheers to that!

@Benkei You are far to kind~
@Banno Cheers my dear friend~

I am so grateful my son is home from college, he is such a cool kid! Always thinking...always solving...always listening.

Reply to ArguingWAristotleTiff Takes after his father, eh? :joke:

Quoting ArguingWAristotleTiff

I am so grateful my son is home from college, he is such a cool kid! Always thinking...always solving...always listening.

Please don't tell him the bad things I've said about civil engineers. Wouldn't want to discourage him.

Quoting T Clark

Please don't tell him the bad things I've said about civil engineers. Wouldn't want to discourage him.

:wink: No worries, he is in a Simulated Science program. He is one of 14 students in this Sim/Science Bachelors degree as opposed to 200 students in the various "engineering" degrees. STEM is awesome but it really needs to be STEAM as the "Arts" are so important to our society and in Simulated Science it is a necessity.

My Mom is such a Golden Souled person~ :heart:

Some of you will get a kick out of this:
I am grateful knowing that when my login into TPF does not work, it is simply a typo, rather than the drop in your tummy when it happened at PF and you might possibly be banned.

I am grateful to everyone here who has helped me along my life journey.

Quoting ArguingWAristotleTiff

I am grateful knowing that when my login into TPF does not work, it is simply a typo, rather than the drop in your tummy when it happened at PF and you might possibly be banned.

I don't think you ever came up as a problem member so no idea why you where anxious about that... :)

Quoting Ying

I don't think you ever came up as a problem member so no idea why you where anxious about that...

I guess I have a habit of being anxious about losing those I consider dear friends and family. :heart:
{{{Ying}}} << virtual hug thank you for your affirmation.

I know that a few of you, my fellow 'thinkers', are aware that I am a recovering addict. I try in earnest to let people know that I am here for anyone who might need me themselves or someone they know, regardless if they are ready to get off the drug they are on or not.

I say that on this thread because of how deeply appreciative I am, as many drops of gratitude flow, filling up my cup to the point it overflows. :flower:

My point of gratitude is this: after slaying the Opiate/Oxycontin addiction of 2.5 years with an additional 2.5 years on Suboxone, my life's dedication has been to get Cannabis made available to patients who cannot have Opiates or don't want to touch Opiates.

So with a BIG shout out to Gov Andrew Cuomo of NY, to Thank you for taking a chance on us, on Cannabis, on a medicine that should be offered as fairly, legally and safely to patients who are also being offered Opiates.

I would also like to forecast an unintended consequence of this move: just like we are seeing a significant reduction (25%) in Opiate overdoses in states that have a Medical Cannabis program we will also see a reduction in the fatalities from Cancer. I am not for a moment suggesting to abandon the Western approach to treating Cancer. I am a firm believer in the Eastern approach (Holistic non invasive) and the Western approach (advanced science usually invasive) being able to be used in conjunction with each other. Together, hand in hand, we are going to beat this asshole named Cancer. :strong:

For parents, sister, sister's son, other sister's son, first wife, and every kindly person, now departed...

Reply to unenlightened :heart: :heart: :heart:

I am grateful that a few more families will have their loved one with them again and can stop looking out the front door to see if by some hopeful chance, that they would see their loved one walking home. :heart: :flower:

I am grateful for the wild side, on which I like to walk, especially when accompanied by like-minded friends, for whom I am also grateful. That, and good music.

I am grateful for those whom have taken on a hill that I was unable to climb. :heart:
That and chocolate. :yum:

I am grateful for sleep without nightmares, loyal friends, and still being alive.

I am grateful to be alive :heart:

I am grateful to die.