Author: Belinda O

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Overriding Feeling of Gratitude

I’m committing to making a conscious effort to be grateful for what I have. It’s not that I haven’t been grateful in the past, but I have taken a lot for granted. What a luxury! With a bit of irony, I find myself being thankful that I have been able to take so much for granted.

It’s not that I want to live a life of paranoia that I may lose what I treasure, but rather, I want to lift my eyes skyward and say, “thank you, God, for continued good health. I know that as I age, things will go wrong, but remind me about what I still have, and remind me to be grateful for your continued care, no matter what happens.”

Not just my health is involved here, of course, although the older I get the more aware I become of what can go wrong. And I don’t want to imply that I won’t grieve losses or feel fear or frustration in the future (sorry for the alliteration). But the overriding feeling should be gratitude.

I am grateful for my friends, past and present, online and in person. I thank God for my parents and my brother and sister and all the work they do on my behalf when the situation calls for it.

Heart lately 2

Why gratitude now, you ask? I’ve come very close to losing a few things I value, and I’m grateful to have had them, whether or not they stay in my life. I’ve had gratitude journals in the past and they didn’t really work for me, but I do want to daily be grateful for the good things in my life.

So I’m holding on to gratitude. I think it makes the heart beat stronger, literally and figuratively.

Image Credits: Skyward © prosign–stock.adobe.com; Heart © Belinda O

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Six Magic Words

The first thought that came to me when I heard today is National Day of Encouragement was a baby learning to walk. Parents and others in the baby’s life are coaxing and saying things like “come on, we know you can do it!” In most cases, that’s true. The baby can learn to walk. But she may not know it quite yet.

In the same way, there are times when someone in your life needs a sincere “I know you can do it!” That friend may not believe in their own strength, but you’ve seen it. And the closer they get to the goal, the more encouragement they may need, just until that first step is taken.

And when they fall, help them pick themselves up, dust themselves off and start all over again.

Of course, babies need encouragement for more than just learning to walk. It’s more than a one-time thing for the people in your life as well. Keep an eye out for the times when someone needs an example demonstrating why you believe in them, something you’ve seen in them that lets you know more is possible.

I know you can do it! Six magic words.

Image Credit: Baby learning to walk ©evgeniy–stock.adobe.com.

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If You Are Burdened…

Many of you have already seen this post, but it’s worth reblogging. Four years ago we lost fashion designer Kate Spade to suicide, and since then many others have also taken their lives. It’s Suicide Prevention Month, and I want you to know, help is available if you are suicidal or in crisis.

Belinda O's avatarMy World With Words

I loved my Kate Spade handbag.

It was practical and stylish, two words common to describing her designs. I was lucky — I got it half-off, something the snide sales person had no problem disdainfully pointing out when I paid for it (a story for another day). Never mind him. I had my Kate Spade handbag.

I carried it for years, until the wear and tear made it too embarassing to use any more. That’s my sole connection to Kate Spade. But when I heard about her death today, I was moved to tears. The story is coming out that she committed suicide, and that breaks my heart.

A friend who was at one time suicidal described to me what she felt in this way:

“It was like there was weight on my body, an outside pressure that made it hard to breathe. All the sorrow and pain I’d felt…

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It’s National Read a Book Day–Need I Say More?

Okay, I need to say a little more. Today’s a day to celebrate books. Pick up that novel or biography you’ve been longing to read, and make room for a few chapters. Not a big reader? Find a book that appeals to you–it doesn’t have to be big or complex, just something you want to find out a little more about.

So many bloggers are also novel writers. Maybe you know of someone who recently published their first book. Be sure to support them and buy a copy!

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Books make us happy. They also broaden our world, widen our perspectives and give us something to talk about with others. In other words, they make us better people.

So go on–read a book!

Image Credits–Magic City of Books and Happy Girl on Pile of Books, both ©Bigstock.

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It’s Caturday–and Walter’s Helping with the Fall Cleaning

Months ago I wrote about my storage room and how I desperately wanted to clean it out. Well, slowly but surely that’s happening. It’s a little bit disconcerting to Walter and Mimi, who constantly have to look for new hiding places, but I feel good about it. Not that the room looks clean yet. It’s just that now a lot of the boxes are empty and only need to be broken down.

Anyway, I donated four boxes of  books to the Friendly Bookstore, which supports our local library, and now I have several boxes ready for Helping Hands, a thrift store that helps people in need. I hauled two of those boxes out to the living room, right next to the front door. The theory was I’d next carry them down to my car. Problem is, I kept finding more stuff to add, so the bottom box has gotten too heavy to carry downstairs. With my back, I have to be really careful.

It looks like I’ll be handling this the way I handled the books. Take an empty box to the car and then carry everything to that box. I need a break, and apparently Walter does too. I had to put the quilt on top or both cats would be exploring–and making a mess of things. The quilt stays, by the way.

So it’s Caturday and cleaning day all rolled into one.Walter on boxes