DAILY GRATITUDE LIST

#1. AMERICA , A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY
#2. FREEDOM OF SPEECH, THE 1ST AMENDMENT!
#3. KNOWLEDGE (A LOT OR A LITTLE, DEPENDS ON THE SUBJECT)
#4 FRIENDS, FAMILY
#5. MY BABIES! (PETS)
#6. MY AMAZING GREEN THUMB, BEAUTIFUL GARDEN. THANKS MOM!
#7. MY GREAT ABILITY TO HOPE AND DREAM.
#8. OPTIMISM.
#9. RECOVERY.
#10. SPIRITUALITY

AWAKING YESTERDAY I WAS QUITE PLEASED, FOR I AWOKE TO THE SOUND OF THE FIRST RAIN OF THE SEASON. I LOVE RAIN, AND IT SEEMED TO PUT A MUCH NEEDED FIRE IN MY GET-ALONG. I SIMPLY LOVE THAT FRESH AND CRISP SMELL OF THE FIRST RAIN. MY GARDEN ALSO ADORES IT! I LOVE THE SMELL AND THE SOUND AS IT PELTS DOWN ONTO MY ROOF AND RENEWS MY FAITH OF AN ANOTHER NEW SEASON. FALL IS AND ALWAYS WILL BE FOR ME A FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR. OF COURSE, I DO BELIEVE I SAY THAT WITH THE PASSING OF EACH ONE. HOWEVER, IN THE FALL I SEEM TO GET VERY NESTY AND DOMESTICATED, A LOT MORE THAN USUAL, BOTH IN MY HOME AND IN MY GENERAL LIFE. FALL FOR MYSELF IS A LOT LIKE THE SPRING CLEANING THING, (WHICH I ALSO ALWAYS DO). FALL, HOWEVER, MAKES ME WANT TO CLEAN AND COOK HEARTY MEALS AND INVITE PEOPLE OVER FOR GREAT COMPANY. I SEEM TO GO THROUGH ALL MY OLD PHOTOS AT THIS TIME AND ARRANGE THEM IN AN ORDER TO BE PUT TOGETHER INTO AN ALBUM, A JOB THAT I NEVER SEEM TO MAKE TIME FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR. I ALSO FINISH ALL THOSE SOMEHOW STARTED AND NOT QUITE FINISHED PROJECTS OF THE PAST YEAR. I PREPARE MYSELF FOR THE BIG HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON. THANKS AGAIN TO MY DEAR MOTHER! SHE TAUGHT ME THE REAL MEANING OF THE SEASON, AND I SIMPLY LOVE THE HOLIDAYS, NOT ALL THE COMMERCIALISM , BUT THE TRUE AND SIMPLE JOY OF GIVING OF ONE'S SELF. A QUOTE FROM MY MOTHER, " JODY, IT'S NEVER ENOUGH TO GO AND PURCHASE SOMETHING AT A DEPT. STORE. IT IS MOST IMPORTANT THAT YOU ALWAYS GIVE SOMETHING OF YOURSELF, EVEN IF IT HURTS A LITTLE, AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO SOMETIMES GIVE WITHOUT ANYONE KNOWING WHERE IT CAME FROM." THIS LITTLE QUOTE IS SIMPLY WHO MY MOTHER WAS AND IT IS INGRAINED IN ME AND SOMETHING THAT I TRY TO LIVE BY ALL THE YEAR THROUGH. THINK ABOUT IT. IT'S EASY TO GIVE CANNED FOOD FROM YOUR PANTRY THAT YOU WILL NEVER EAT. WHAT ABOUT THE NICKNACK THAT YOUR GREAT AUNT HELEN PASSED TO YOU, THAT IS JUST SIMPLY COLLECTING DUST? GO ON, GIVE A LITTLE SOMETHING THAT YOU CHERISH, OR SOMETHING OF YOUR SOUL. GO VOLUNTEER. I DO KNOW ONE THING TODAY WITH ALL MY HEART AND SOUL AND IT DERIVES FROM MY MANY YEARS IN 12- STEP PROGRAMS. YOU CAN'T KEEP IT UNLESS YOU GIVE IT AWAY! REMEMBER, IT IS NOT WHAT YOU GIVE THAT COUNTS BUT THE SPIRIT IN WHICH YOU GIVE IT.
FOR REAL, DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT YOU GOT FOR YOUR 10TH BIRTHDAY? DO YOU RECALL WHO WAS THERE? ALL THE LOVE THAT THEY HAD FOR YOU? HAVE YOU EVER SEEN AN OBITUARY THAT TOLD YOU HOW MUCH MONEY A PERSON HAD, OR WHAT KIND OF CAR HE DROVE? THE PEOPLE THAT I HAVE LOVED WHO DEPARTED ARE CERTAINLY NEVER THOUGHT OF BY ME IN THAT REGARD. RATHER, HOW KIND, HOW HONEST, DID THEY DO THEIR BEST? AND DID THEY ALWAYS SEEM TO DO UNTO OTHERS AS THEY WOULD WANT DONE TO THEM? WELL, I SURE HOPE THAT IN MY PASSING FOLKS WILL LOOK AT MY LIFE AS THESE THINGS, AND, IF NOT, THEN THEY CAN THINK OF MY 18- YEAR- OLD SILVER, 4 -DOOR VOLVO, WITH A SUN ROOF AND AN EXCELLENT STEREO...(MAKE IT SOUND GOOD, PLEASE!) THE BLOG OF MY VOLVO TO FOLLOW AT A LATER DATE. SO WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON? WHAT TRADITIONS DO YOU HAVE? IF YOU HAVE NONE THEN MAKE YOUR OWN. I HAVE MANY AND CONTINUE TO MAKE MORE EACH YEAR WITH PLEASURE AND JOY. THESE ARE THE WONDERFUL MEMORIES I RECALL. REMEMBER THIS: THAT CHRISTMAS IS BUT ONE DAY A YEAR, AND THAT THE REAL INSPIRATION IS TO CARRY A LITTLE BIT OF THAT JOY, LOVE, SHARING OF ONE'S SELF ON A DAILY BASIS. JUST SAY "HELLO"TO FOLKS. WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. PEACE, LOVE AND JOY BE YOURS TODAY ON YOUR JOURNEY. LOVE, JODYJOY.