Appreciation

Gratitude Journal – Prompt #9

/ Luanne Shernisky / 2 Comments

 

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Photo credit: Luis Llerena/StockSnap.io

Day #9 – What place are you most grateful for?

30 Days of Gratitude

In answer to the question for Day 9 of the 30 Days of Gratitude challenge, I’m going to choose my bed. I know that sounds like a strange choice, because we don’t think of our beds as “places.”

But, I didn’t sleep well last night and am thinking about how comfortable it is and how it’s the one place I’d like to be right now!

Waking up at 4 a.m. is a symptom of menopause and growing older. Until my 50th birthday I slept like a rock. When I did wake up (for whatever obscure reason) falling back to sleep was effortless.

Not so these days. But, it got me thinking of how lucky I am to have a bed. Many people don’t. When thinking about poverty, we tend to focus on the big stuff, like food, water, and housing. But, there is so much more that these folks live without. In most developed countries we don’t see the extremes of scarcity that less industrialized nations have.

There are varying degrees of destitution. The children on the left have mats in what appears to be an indoor structure. The Syrian refugees on the right, having to flee their homes, are forced to sleep outdoors. And, there are many other people who don’t have proper clothing or are as well fed as these youngsters.

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Photo credit: Viktoria Hall-Waldhauser/unsplash.com

Apparently, having a bed is considered a luxury to many, as are the countless other advantages we enjoy. 

So, when I climb into bed tonight I’m going to say a prayer for these people and remember to be grateful.

Carpe diem!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gratitude Journal – Prompt #6

/ Luanne Shernisky / Leave a comment
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Photo credit: Andrew Ridley/StockSnap.io

Day #6 – What in nature are you grateful for?

30 Days of Gratitude

Unlike the others so far, Day #6 of the 30 Days of Gratitude Prompts was a no-brainer for me. I immediately thought of one specific thing: the sun.

In the earlier prompts I’ve had trouble narrowing down my choices. However, I believe that’s part of the “gratitude enlightenment” process… to make us realize that we have so many favorites and choices.

There are a lot of things in nature to be grateful for:  wildlife, flowers, starry nights, the ocean that I love so much (I’m convinced I was a viking/sailor in a previous life!)

I derive much pleasure from ALL the things that the sun provides. The vibrant colors that exist thanks to light itself (prompt #3.) The foods I love (prompt #4) and the bird songs that greet me each morning (prompt #5.) 

My appreciation for this wonderful (and necessary) orb in the sky is demonstrated through many of the photos I take. Sunrises and sunsets are a popular subject, usually coupled with a beautiful land or seascape.

PFF July 15I mentioned in a former post that I’m always looking up at the sky. Between the sun, moon, stars, and cloud formations, there’s always a unique and special view.

My favorite season is summer and I moved to Florida for several reasons, one being that it is the Sunshine State!

With so much to choose from when considering all that nature offers, what is your answer to Prompt #6? Whatever you choose, take a moment to recognize and enjoy it today!

Carpe diem!

 

 

 

Gratitude Journal – Prompt #3

/ Luanne Shernisky / 1 Comment
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Day #3 – What color are you grateful for?

30 Days of Gratitude

The third day of the 30 Days of Gratitude Prompts  should be easy; we all have a favorite color. This would likely be the one we’re most grateful for, right?

Not necessarily. From the beautiful expanse of sky above to the fragile robin eggs to my aquamarine birthstone, blue has always been my favorite color. 

Of course, I do love mint green baby clothes and I chose a lovely periwinkle paint for my daughter’s room when she was small. I’m partial to red brick and, well…black IS slimming! 

So, I guess you can say I’m grateful for ALL colors! After all, how special would a rainbow be if it were completely pink? Or, if the autumn leaves never turned in the fall and remained green until they fell? 

It’s the diversity of color that makes our world such a beautiful place!

Believe it or not, but the reason we have color is because we have light! Color is the way our eyes interpret the energies contained within a beam of light!

Picture Frames_Colorful.pngThe energies of light contain a large spectrum of colors. When light touches an object, some of these energies are absorbed (taken in) by it, and others are reflected (cast back). – It’s the energies that are reflected which your eyes collect and then interpret as a specific color!

This means that when certain energies are reflected, your eyes interpret them to make you recognize that a banana is yellow, your friend has purple shoes, and your grandma’s hair is white! (Courtesy of whyzz.com)

Sky Watch_July 8We’re surrounded daily by a palette of colors that nature provides, as well as the man-made variety. Aside from purchasing paint or some item, when was the last time you really noticed the color of something?

The sky fascinates me and you’ll see that a lot of my photos include it (or some portion of it.) I’m always looking up to admire the changing hues and cloud formations. 

Imagine a world where diversity of color in the skin pigmentation of all people was appreciated and respected. Imagine that the unique talents and gifts of those people were recognized and encouraged.

I imagine that’s something we could really be grateful for.

Carpe diem!