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Gratitude – #JusJoJan 2023


Welcome to day fifteen of Just Jot It January for 2023. Today’s word is gratitude.

Today I asked myself, “What is gratitude?” and my heart answered.

Gratitude is where the flowers find their scent.
It is where heartbreak loses its power.
It is where tears nurture healing.
Gratitude is where understanding is born, often after a long and strenuous labor.
It is where sorrow turns to memories.
Gratitude is what grounds us and gives us wings to fly.
Gratitude, my friend, is the place where love and forgiveness live.

Be grateful for this moment.

It is like no other

And will never be again.


Written as part of Linda Hill’s JusJoJan.

Prompt word today (gratitude) submitted bie Carol Anne from Therapy Bits.

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Throwback Thursday #65 – You Don’t Have to Be American to be Thankful Today

Happy Thanksgiving fellow bloggers – wherever you are! Since Lauren is cooking Thanksgiving and I am not, I volunteered to post today. I am posting a day early since so many people may be otherwise occupied tomorrow.

This week’s prompt is: Being Thankful

Since today is Thankgiving in the U.S. I thought it would be good to think back to your childhood, your family life, and the place where you were raised and reflect a little. Out of that reflection, simply write something about your past you are thankful for today. It can be one thing or many – that is totally up to you. Feel free to share an old photo or a simple remembrance. My response is below.

May peace and gratitude find you wherever you are today.


This will come as no surprise to those kind enough to follow my blog. One of the reasons I write about nostalgia so much is because it makes me happy. I am reminded of times that were simpler when I was surrounded by all the people I now miss so much.

I am so thankful for my memories. They keep a part of me alive that has long since passed. The memories can be fleeting so I hold on to the few pieces that provide tangible proof they are real! Photos, letters, and little momentos whose touch and smell cause memories to come flooding back.

I am thankful I remember the smell of honeysuckle, the feel of a touch-me-not popping in my hand, and the earthy deliciousness of a freshly cracked black walnut.

I am thankful I can sometimes hear little snippets of the voices of my family. My Dad’s voice rings crystal clear.

I am thankful for the advice of my sisters that still echoes in my mind even though they are no longer with me.

I am thankful I lived a simple life that helped me to realize the importance of people over things.

I am thankful for the mistakes made on holidays that taught me not to take life too seriously. The turkey cooked with the giblets and paper bag still inside the cavity. The gravy that never got thick so it went down the sink instead of to the table. The pasta that tipped over and slid across the kitchen floor. The fudge that had to be eaten with a spoon. Go ahead and make the mistakes – they turn into the best memories! ❤️

Today, I am thankful for the family and friends, near and far, that make up my tribe. Their numbers may be small, but their worth is immeasurable.

Enjoy this article by Rick Bragg that appeared in Southern Living magazine in 2011. It says everything about the perfect Thanksgiving.

Magazine article.

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Thankful

Day 71

Sometimes in a given day, we are limited as to what we can do or accomplish. The one thing I always have the capacity for is the ability to give thanks.

Today I am thankful for soft continuous rain on a long drive, friends that check in to see how I am, a hand that reaches out and doesn’t let go, children that bring great joy to my life, and a husband whose heart amazes me a little more each and every day.

Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.
Epicurus