Home » Gratitude
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 36,000 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 13 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
I have an idea.
It has to do with blessings of the holiday season. Strength in numbers. And the power of the blogging world as a force of nature.
It goes something like this.
I now have 1,240 followers.
1,240 people who actually have agreed to see an e-mail from me every day in what must be already overloaded e-mail accounts.
With views from over 120 different countries. Amazing!
I am grateful, to say the least.
When I first started this blog, I had to take a time-out from work because of health issues, and I wanted to reach out to people from my home, since I was no longer doing it in an office.
My goal was simple – to inspire people, to offer hope, to let them know that they were not alone. To give them the chance to get to know some extraordinary people I’ve met along the way, either through my work, my volunteering, my reading, or my travels. To share a daily quotation that at some point in my life may have spoken to me for a brief moment.
Or comforted me. Or inspired. Or challenged. Or teased. Or humbled.
And guess what? I was inspired.
I don’t know if I achieved my goal for others, but I was certainly inspired by those I’ve met in the blogging world. And the blogging world is simply a microcosm of the real world.
Where else can I speak to or read about or cry with people from other countries and other cultures without ever having met them?
Where else can I view photos (and very, very good ones, at that!) of hills and meadows, festivals and country markets, colorful flowers and exotic animals, mountain peaks and crashing oceans?
Where else can I read about feeding hyenas in Ethiopia or visit a fashion house in Paris or a tiny market on the streets of Pakistan?
Or see the purple flowers against the gray stone of a chapel in Ireland or experience the Northern Lights in Norway or read about the politics of Croatia or the struggle for freedom in Egypt as they happen?
Or get tips on how to take care of elderly pets or teach a cat how to walk on a leash or get a recipe for soup from Singapore or discuss photography with a retiree in Hong Kong or take notes on the latest fashion from a teen-aged Latvian boy?
I’ve offered prayers to people struggling with cancer, sobriety, paralysis, depression and all kinds of loss; exchanged hopeful thoughts in the quiet early morning hours when sleep was elusive; read poetry by young adults in India, Spain and Romania (thank goodness for Google Translate!) who feel the same things as the rest of us, no matter our age or geographic location; read about different faith traditions practiced in so many parts of the world; and shared my own thoughts about people, with people and for people across the globe.
Ask me about how Mumbai’s skyline glitters at night or how the mountains surrounding Islamabad look draped in mist or how the colors of a New Zealand autumn blaze and pop or how the light falls in sacred shadows across an abandoned church in Scotland or how it looks to skydive over Palm Island in Dubai, UAE or how vividly green the terrace farming is in Yemen or how the architecture sings at night in Barcelona.
Or how cheetah hunt or elephants grieve or eagles mate or dolphins swim or butterflies migrate.
Or how people the world over hate war, how they cry for the same reasons, laugh at silly jokes, help those in need, share food and water when they have little, offer hope when others have none, speak volumes without words in their photographs, allow us to visit inside their homes and hearts, show us their children and plans for the future.
We are different; we are the same.
We share stories; we share ourselves.
We reach out; we touch hearts and hands.
We speak in different languages; we speak the same.
We harbor faith not confined by religion.
We believe and we dream.
We inspire and we offer hope.
We are present and never alone.
We are connected.
We are One.
We shall bring peace.
So, in celebration, I would like to propose “The 1,240 Peace Accord.”
A grass roots movement that starts with the 1,240 loyal followers of this humble blog, Soul Gatherings.
We’ve already shown that we have more in common than different.
We agree – we disagree – – we communicate – we listen – we share – we learn – we care.
Let all of us decide the fate of World Peace.
One person – one post – one follower – one blog – at a time.
We can do this. I can feel it. I can hear our voices, united.
The 1,240 Peace Accord.
Are you in?
________________________________________________
Love – Gratitude
The agony is so great…
and yet I will stand it.
Had I not loved so very much
I would not hurt so much.
But goodness knows I would not
want to diminish that precious love
by one fraction of an ounce.
I will hurt,
and I will be grateful to the hurt
for it bares witness to
the depth of our meanings,
and for that I will be
eternally grateful.
_______________________________
by Shirley Holzer Jeffrey
Death: The Final Stage of Growth
Elisabeth Kubler-Ross (1975)
________________________________
For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) ~
_________________________________
Meditation Prayer on Love
by Thich Nhat Hanh
____________________________________________
It’s taken me more than 6 months, but I finally reached what I suppose is a seminal point for a new blogger.
300+ followers.
328 people who actually have agreed to see an e-mail from me every day in what must be already overloaded e-mail accounts.
With views from 59 different countries. Amazing!
I am grateful, to say the least.
When I first started this blog, it was because I had to take a time-out from work because of health issues, and I wanted to reach out to people from my home, since I was no longer doing it in an office.
My goal was simple – to inspire people, to offer hope, to let them know that they were not alone. To give them the chance to get to know some extraordinary people I’ve met along the way, either through my work, my volunteering, my reading, or my travels. Or to share a daily quotation that at some point in my life, may have spoken to me for a brief moment.
Or comforted me. Or inspired. Or challenged. Or teased. Or humbled.
And guess what? I was inspired.
I don’t know if I achieved my goal for others, but I was certainly inspired by those I’ve met in the blogging world. And the blogging world is simply a microcosm of the real world.
Where else can I speak to or read about or cry with people from other countries and other cultures without ever having met them?
Where else can I view photos (and very, very good ones, at that!) of hills and meadows, festivals and country markets, colorful flowers and exotic animals, mountain peaks and crashing oceans?
Where else can I read about feeding hyenas in Ethiopia or visit a fashion house in Paris or a tiny market on the streets of Pakistan?
Or see the purple flowers against the gray stone of a chapel in Ireland or experience the Northern Lights in Norway or read about the politics of Croatia or the struggle for freedom in Egypt as they happen?
Or get tips on how to take care of elderly pets or teach a cat how to walk on a leash or get a recipe for soup from Singapore or discuss photography with a retiree in Hong Kong or take notes on the latest fashion from a Latvian teen-aged boy?
I’ve offered prayers to people struggling with cancer, sobriety, paralysis, depression and all kinds of loss; exchanged hopeful thoughts in the quiet early morning hours when sleep was elusive; read poetry by young adults in India, Spain and Romania (thank goodness for Google Translate!) who feel the same things as the rest of us, no matter our age or geographic location; read about different faith traditions practiced in so many parts of the world; and shared my own thoughts about people, with people and for people across the globe.
Ask me about how Mumbai’s skyline glitters at night or how the mountains surrounding Islamabad look draped in mist or how the colors of a New Zealand autumn blaze and pop or how the light falls in sacred shadows across an abandoned church in Scotland or how it looks to skydive over Palm Island in Dubai, UAE or how vividly green the terrace farming is in Yemen or how the architecture sings at night in Barcelona.
Or how cheetah hunt or elephants grieve or eagles mate or dolphins swim or butterflies migrate.
Or how people the world over hate war, how they cry for the same reasons, laugh at silly jokes, help those in need, share food and water when they have little, offer hope when others have none, speak volumes without words in their photographs, allow us to visit inside their homes and hearts, show us their children and plans for the future.
We are different; we are the same.
We share stories; we share ourselves.
We reach out; we touch hearts and hands.
We speak in different languages; we speak the same.
We harbor faith not confined by religion.
We believe and we dream.
We inspire and we offer hope.
We are present and never alone.
We are connected.
We are One.
We shall bring peace.
So, in celebration, I would like to propose “The 300 Peace Accord.”
A grass roots movement that starts with the 328 loyal followers of this humble blog, Soul Gatherings.
We’ve already shown that we have more in common than different.
We agree – we disagree – – we communicate – we listen – we share – we learn – we care.
Let all of us decide the fate of World Peace.
One person – one post – one follower – one blog – at a time.
We can do this. I can feel it. I can hear our voices, united.
The 300 Peace Accord.
Are you in?
________________________________________________
Those of you who might know me personally are probably saying to yourself, “What’s this post about? Theresa is the least athletic person I’ve ever met…” And, you would be right!
However, the title of this refers to offering my most sincere gratitude to Coach Muller of “Good Time Stories” for the following three awards.
Three awards, you say?
My disclaimer: I’ve never met the man, but I certainly love his blog. Every time I read what are indeed his “good time stories,” I feel better about myself, humankind and our future. His stories, like what I attempt with my own, portray our humanity to one another…our reaching out…our kindnesses…our sacrifices…our connectedness. If you haven’t already taken a look at his blog, please do. You will feel hope spring from the pages.
And now for some of the details…
Good Time Stories
1. Display this award on your blog. – done
2. Thank the person who sent it to you. – done
3. Answer a rhetorical question of the authors choosing.
Q: Who would you have liked to work with, if given the chance?
A: Mother Teresa.4. Send on the award to someone you consider a loyal reader. [Note: I am only nominating one to represent all of my loyal readers; otherwise, I’d be here all night. Please see my final words at the end of this post.]
________________________________________________________________
Good Time Stories
1) ADD the ABC logo to your blog.
2) ABC about yourself using one word or phrase.
3) Nominate however many blogs you wish.
4) Let the recipient know via a link in their comments.
A – avid reader
B – blunt (I prefer “direct”)
C – compassionate and claustrophobic
D – disciplined
E – educated about Egypt
F – fair-minded
G – genuinely believe in life after death
H – hospitals: I like to work in emergency rooms or trauma centers
I – inspirational (my description) and intense (my son’s description)
J – justifiably proud of my son, Alex
K – knights: I love Medieval history
L – loyal listener
M – Machu Picchu: a favorite mystical place
N – nothing is random
O – organized
P – passionate about pasta and pizza and purple and my passport
Q – queen, as in “It’s good to be Queen.”
R – Royal Clipper: favorite sailing ship
S – self-critical
T – tough Theresa the traveler fell in love with Tanzania
U – unfoolable (pretty much)
V – vacation planner extraordinaire
W – works (too) hard
X – xylophone: played with a Fisher-Price as a child
Y – yells loudly at sporting events (both in person and at the TV)
Z – zealous about making a positive difference in the world
My nominee for the ABC Award: Posed and Written
______________________________________________________________
Last, but not least…
Good Time Stories
I was already nominated for this (see “In Gratitude – Part II”), but none-the-less, Coach, I am grateful for the thought.
_______________________________________________________________
To my readers: thank you.
I write about people, places and things that have touched me in some way.
In this, I include all of you. You touch my heart.
~ Theresa
_____________________________________________________________
witlessdatingafterfifty
Ajaytao2010
Ajaytao2010
Ajaytao2010
My most humble and sincere thanks to Ajatao2010 and witlessdatingafterfifty for the above four award nominations. Their kindness in recognizing this relatively new blogger with encouragement and support gives me even more incentive to continue to blog things that I hope will inspire one post, one person at a time.
Another huge benefit to me is that it reminds me of what an absolutely selfless blog Ajay offers to each and every one of us and it introduces me to yet another wonderful site in witlessdatingafterfifty. If you’re not already familiar with them, please click on the links to their sites below:
“Gratitude is the heart’s memory.”
~ French Proverb ~
Otrazhenie.wordpress.com
I offer blessings and gratitude to https://otrazhenie.wordpress.com for her gracious gift of the Inner Peace Award. Encouragement from a blogger such as Otrazhenie helps me to reach deep inside myself to find more quotations, poetry, or personal essays to inspire and perhaps offer hope to anyone in need. And even on a good day, I find that to be quite a few of us…
In the spirit of gifting those who have touched my heart in kind, I pass this award on to those bloggers I list below. If they choose to accept, they have only to say something kind to any persons they in turn “pay forward” with the Inner Peace Award.
https://words4jp.wordpress.com
https://withnoonebutme.wordpress.com
http://goodtimestories.wordpress.com
http://retireediary.wordpress.com
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
jeaninjackson.com
At the same time (I am indeed blessed), I offer blessings and gratitude to http://jeaninjackson.com for the gift of the Sunshine Award. Her Life Images at Pearl St. Gallery bring me a bit of sunshine whenever I look at them, and transport my soul to so many places where I have not yet had the good fortune to travel. Her pictures tell stories like I (hopefully) express in words.
In the same spirit, I would like to nominate the same five bloggers listed above for the Sunshine Award, for the sunshine that they bring to me, and so very many others, with each post that we are all lucky enough to read. They are a gift.
The rules for the Sunshine Award are as follows:
* Use the logo above in the post.
* Link to whoever nominated you.
* Write ten pieces of information about yourself.
* Nominate ten (I nominated five) fellow bloggers “who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere.”
* Leave a comment on the nominees’ blogs to tell them of the award.
Here are ten (more) pieces of information about me:
* I prefer to stay in B&Bs rather than hotels.
* I talk to animals.
* My dream: to live in a (gray) stone cottage set amidst the hills and valleys of Wales or Ireland, near some sort of water (ocean, lake, stream).
* Most peaceful vacation moment: flying in a hot air balloon over the Serengeti in Tanzania.
* Most profound vacation moment: crying at my first look at the citadel of Machu Picchu, Peru.
* Most relaxing vacation moment: on the empty deck of the sailing ship Royal Clipper, late at night, with the sound of the waves and moonlight for company.
* Favorite boutique hotel: http://www.fincarosablanca.com – Finca Rosa Blanca Coffee Plantation and Inn, Costa Rica
* I prefer an aisle seat on a plane.
* I prefer to hold an actual book in my hands when reading, but I did break down and buy a Kindle for when I travel to cut down on weight in my luggage.
* Best place to watch fireworks: summer weekends at Oregon Ridge Park in Cockeysville, Maryland, with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra playing in concert with the fireworks display.
Once again – my humble gratitude to fellow blogger and new-found friend Ajaytao2010 for nominating me for the above awards. Although I am still too new to blogging to understand much about these award nominations, I am supremely grateful to Ajaytao2010 for acknowledging my attempts at inspiring and touching people through sharing stories of special people whom I’ve had the privilege to meet, offering my favorite quotations to consider or even some published poetry that has touched me at some moment during my life.
I am also grateful for the new visitors it brings to Soul Gatherings, whether from these nominations, someone reblogging one of my posts or another blogger suggesting one of their followers take a look at my site. Another great benefit – it brings me to some absolutely wonderful blogs that are new to me, where I am able to meet people who inspire me to continue reaching out. There are some terrific sites out there, just waiting to be discovered, and given enough time, I hope to become an avid visitor to many of them.
THE RULES:
1-Display the award logo on your blog.
2-Link back to the person who nominated you.
3-Answer 7 questions.
4-Nominate (no limit of nominations) other bloggers for this award and link back to them.
5-Notify those bloggers of the award requirements.
In keeping with nomination guidelines, here are my answers to the 7 questions provided to me:
1) If you could create your own planet, what would it look like?
It would have waterfalls, majestic mountains and dramatic valleys, beautiful flowers and towering trees, still lakes and endless oceans, natural rock formations, blue skies and white clouds, riotous colors everywhere (but especially purple and countless shades of green), and animals living peacefully in their habitats, unthreatened.
2) If you could visit one nation you have never visited before, what nation would that be?
I’ve already been to the ones I’ve always wanted to visit, so I’ll say Chile or Botswana.
3) Have you ever taken a long-distance train trip?
The longest were only about 4 hours: once in Peru, going to Machu Picchu and the other going through beautiful Alaska. On my bucket list: a train trip across the Canadian Rockies or through South Africa.
4) What is something you would collectively change about humanity?
More tolerance, compassion and understanding of others, recognizing that we all have far more in common than differences. Hopefully, that would bring more cooperation and working together for the needs of the many, rather than the needs of the few. Peace.
5) What is your favorite song?
I can’t answer any of these with only one thing. A few that come to mind: The Prayer (Andrea Bocelli), Ave Maria, Pachelbel’s Canon in D, The Last Song (Elton John), Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon & Garfunkel) & Until the Last Moment (Yanni).
6) If you could meet one person who is still alive, who would you choose to meet?
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.
7) If you could choose one symbol to represent you, what would that symbol be and why?
A lighthouse standing on gray rock overlooking the ocean, with lots of purple flowers and shrubs around it.
Now, to nominate some of my fellow bloggers:
1) https://goodtimestories.wordpress.com
2) https://stevehi312.wordpress.com
3) https://juliannevictoria.com
4) https://busymindthinking.com
6) https://djhardesty.wordpress.com
7) https://lichtyears.wordpress.com
8) https://whitecrow12013.wordpress.com
9) https://otrazhenie.wordpress.com
10) https://digitalcatharsis.wordpress.com
If you aren’t already familiar with the above bloggers, take a few moments to peruse their sites. To the bloggers: keep up the good work!
My blessings and gratitude to all who have shown me the way…
nominated by Ajaytao2010
I would like to express my deepest thanks to Ajaytao2010 for nominating me for one of three awards. My delay in acknowledging his gift to me has nothing to do with my feelings about it, only to do with the myriad of things happening in my life at the moment. Needless to say, I know my readers and fellow bloggers understand this. I hope that Ajaytao2010 does as well…
I decided on the Blog Sunshine Award, which will no doubt be a surprise to my husband and son. Both of them thankfully follow my blog (I think I threatened them if they didn’t), and often moan about the fact that too many of my posts are, as they describe them, “tear-jerkers.” I must confess that their comments surprise me, as that is not my intention on Soul Gatherings.
My hope with this blog is to inspire my readers with stories about the triumph of the human spirit; of what happens when ordinary people do extraordinary things, from which either one of us, or all of us, benefits. People reaching out to others – whether by words, actions, thoughts, photographs – people touching others. In almost all the cases, the people I write about or the quotations I post have touched my heart. I pass them along so that they might touch yours.
That’s where the Blog Sunshine Award comes in – if some of the posts elicit a few tears, then they were poignant and meaningful and inspiring. Mission accomplished! And when folks reblog some of the posts, that’s even better.
Contrary to popular belief, tears can be a good thing, too.
So my blessings and gratitude to Ajaytao2010. I can only hope to live up to his expectations…
The rules suggest that I nominate 15 people for this award. Please forgive me if I do not reach 15, as I am still reading new bloggers each day and getting to know them, and many of them have already received this award. There are so many worthy bloggers out there, but I lately I just haven’t had the time needed to follow them (or, as you’ve already noticed, post things other than quotations, either). Here are 10 blogs I enjoy:
Travel Love Laugh
A Word in Your Ear
Stephen Liddell
Owl McCloud
Jenadee 222
Suzicue
Sleepless Psyche
Smile Calm
T K Morin
Pearl Street Gallery
[Note: If someone can tell me why my presenting the above names as a “link” didn’t follow through, please let this new blogger know what I did wrong!]
Lastly, I am supposed to tell you 7 things about myself. Since I already have 7 in my earlier post, Gratitude, I’ll try to come up with some new ones:
1) I have never regretted my career change in mid-life.
2) I have a passion for ancient civilizations.
3) I have a passion for visiting the locations of ancient civilizations.
4) I read 5 different archaeology magazines each month.
5) I admit to watching Amazing Race and Survivor because I love to “profile” and “diagnose” (in a psychology sense) the participants from afar.
6) My son says growing up with me as a mother was “intense.”
7) There’s a reason for everything. Yes – even suffering.
I am sending out humble gratitude and blessings to “I Have a Voice” (girlwiththepen1118) for nominating me for the above three awards.
My intention with this blog when I began it less than 2 months ago (after having read 2 books on blogging, I’m still trying to figure it out) was to share stories of people whom I’ve met in my life who have touched me in some deep, elemental way – the people you carry with you in your heart long after meeting them. I thought a blog would be a way to honor them, as well as to perhaps inspire others to remember that no matter how small a thing they might do for another person, it might actually be something of great importance, enough to change a life. We human beings have a great capacity to love and to reach out, most especially in the midst of darkness.
I also wanted to include quotes that hold meaning for me, that inspire me, as well as some of my travels that have helped me along in my spiritual growth. As I’ve said in my blog, I am a work in progress…
With apologies that I may not be able to exactly follow the rules of nominating 15 other bloggers – since I’m still getting to know them as a follower on my own – I’ve listed those below to whom I am passing on the “Shine On” Award for their having given me something wonderful on any given day – whether thoughts or poems or videos or photographs. Some of them may already have an award, but regardless, they deserve either another one, or the same one again as validation of their value.
Ajaytao2012
Fun Girls Live Better
Jon Lilley
Funkari
5 Kids with Disabilities
Sophia’s Voice
The CoF
Simple. Interesting.
John Coyote
Thoughts Alone
The Positivity Blog
Finally, I believe for one of the awards, I am to tell you all 7 things about myself. Here goes:
1) I changed careers in my late 40s and it was the best thing I ever did.
2) My favorite color is purple.
3) If I could choose my last meal, it would be some type of pasta.
4) I believe that nothing is random.
5) I’m a U.S. Civil War (1861-1865) history nut, especially on the topics of medicine and women.
6) I have visited over 15 countries (not counting islands in the Caribbean), and that’s not nearly enough.
7) I love castles – the military fortress type, not the palaces type (there goes the military history again).
Soul Gatherings 