Have any of you been without internet lately for more than a day? We were without internet for about 27 hours at my house this week. It was quite discombobulating, especially in the morning. Every morning, immediately after my coffee and muffin, I turn on my laptop and check my social media, my email and this site. Then, I do Wordle, which I send to my children with a comment and too many emojis.
Well, in the morning I got some long-overdue cleaning done and in the evening, I read. With a cup of tea and a cookie to keep me awake, I made some progress in the book I’m reading. What a lovely, relaxing way to spend an evening. And . . . I still did the Wordle on my phone. What would my darlings do without their daily smile?
How would you spend your time if the internet is not working? – Maria
I took this picture at the fireworks display that ended a day of graduation celebrations. I felt that the fireworks were saying “hey students, look at how high you can climb in life and how colourful your life can be and see how many different choices you have in life”.
Are you a fan of fireworks? -Cris
During one of the convocation addresses at my daughter’s graduation, the speaker talked about “grit” and “gratitude” as being two forces take us successfully through life.
Grit is about pushing through the difficult moments, continuing even when life is presenting us with one challenge after another. Grit means showing determination, persistence and resilience to make it through to the other side. Grit is about not giving up even when we’re so tired and the end seems impossible to reach or just too far away. Grit is what gets us through life. Grit teaches us lessons about never giving up, about believing in ourselves, and about team work. It’s about learning new skills, overcoming our fears, facing challenges with energy and an internal force that says “I can do this!” and doing it over and over again, if needed, until the challenge is met and conquered. Grit is how we become strong, both mentally and physically. Grit enriches our personalities, it accentuates our positive traits.
Grit shows us who we can be – strong, determined, team workers, persistent, clever, and successful.
Gratitude, on the other hand, is about being able to see what we already have in our life and being thankful for the people in your life – friends and family, classmates, etc – and for the skills we already have, for the opportunities we’ve been given and for those tiny moments in life that lift our spirits: fresh flowers from the market or a friend to go running with, a well cooked meal, people who say “hi” as you walk by, a kind smile sent your way, a sunny day, a beautiful sunset, a kiss or an interesting conversation, a good novel or a good long sleep.
Gratitude is being thankful for being able to get through life’s challenges and for the teamwork and encouragement of everyone around you. It helps us see the gifts, both big and small, that get us through those roadblocks and allow us to succeed when we weren’t sure we would succeed. Gratitude teaches us kindness, and teaches us to calm down and remember the long list of goodness and gifts in our lives in juxtaposition to the roadblocks up ahead that we are trying to conquer that are trying to break us and bring down our spirits.
Gratitude is being thankful for life and seeing that there are always little things to be thankful for, even in our most difficult moments.
What is one thing you’re grateful for today?- Cris
Aren’t they lovely? Carnations have become my favourite flowers to receive; they come in an amazingly large variety of colours and they last such a long time. On Mother’s Day, my sons surprised me with a delicious dinner and these lovely flowers: a congratulations for having completed the 10k run in the morning and a sign of love and appreciation. They know the way to their mother’s heart.
What are your favourite flowers to receive? or to you prefer something more practical? Let us know in the comments. – Maria
I am grateful for many things in my life, including the marvelous fact that my daughter and I have almost the same shoe size. It is not an exaggeration that I will almost definitely never have to buy another pair of running shoes. My daughter, who likes to shop, left behind several pairs of runners when she moved out. This is wonderful for me because I don’t like to shop and I really don’t care much what the running shoes look like as long as they are comfortable.
It’s a win-win situation: the shoes are not going to waste, I enjoy wearing them and they remind me of her, and I’m saving money and time! – Maria
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