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Gratitude and Forgiveness

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As we gather together to offer thanks and gratitude, I believe it a perfect occasion to practice forgiveness as well as gratitude. It is inevitable that we will come face-to-face with an estranged family member or friend. 

Nearly everyone has been hurt by the actions or words of another. Perhaps your mother criticized your parenting skills or your partner had an affair. These wounds can leave you with lasting feelings of anger, bitterness and even vengeance — but if you don’t practice forgiveness, you may be the one who pays most dearly. By embracing forgiveness, you embrace peace, hope, gratitude and joy. http://j.mp/hIcFcL. 

When I need to forgive, myself or someone else, one of the methods that I turn to is an anonymous prayer that I found some years ago. Here it is:


Forgiveness Prayer
If there is anyone or anything that has hurt me in the past, 
knowingly or unknowingly, I forgive and release it. If I have 
hurt anyone or anything in the past knowingly or unknowingly,
I forgive and release it.
(For the higher good of myself and others.)

If you know of another forgiveness prayer or ritual, please share it with us.
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Gratitude: Actions, Not Words

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Gratitude , The Tall Ships' Races, Szczecin 2007Image via Wikipedia


Revised from November 8, 2010 post.

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. ~John F. Kennedy 
I don’t know where the year went and how it is that we have begun the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. The day is upon us and we are lost in the hub-bub of travel, family, overeating, Xmas shopping, etc., but I thought that it was a perfect opportunity to remember the true mean of thanks+giving.

Thanksgiving Day is a harvest festival celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is a holiday to express thankfulness, gratitude, and appreciation to God, family and friends for which all have been blessed of material possessions and relationships. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving. As I’ve gotten older and older, and holidays have become more and more commercialized, I know how easy it is for us to lose sight of the true meaning of the holidays (holy days) that we celebrate. I hope that this post serves two purposes: (1) that it forces you to consider all of your blessings, and (2) that you give some thought to how you can pay it forward and do whatever you can to express your gratitude to loved ones, friends and most importantly, strangers alike.

Even in the face of numerous health challenges, I have much to be grateful. Yet, when compared to the majority of this earth’s population, I am further humbled. The facts are troubling; “almost half the world — over three billion people — live on less than $2.50 a day.” http://j.mp/dgLxZf. More chilling, 22,000 children around the world die every day. http://j.mp/a1iXra. This is akin to 1 of our children dying every 4 seconds.http://j.mp/a1iXra. Sadly, the biggest culprits leading to their deaths are poverty and hunger. In these United States, “the nation’s poverty rate jumped to 14.3% in 2009, its highest level since 1994, and the 43.6 million Americans in need is the highest number in 51 years of record-keeping.” http://j.mp/haB2DI I offer these facts because until recently, I just didn’t know the depth and breadth of the problem. Did you? 

In our unbelievably full, frantic, hectic, hurry up lives, the last thing that we need is one more thing to do. Perhaps, you are already doing your part to give thanks for the blessings that you’ve received. If so, thank you. For those who weren’t aware of the problem, you have an opportunity to make a difference–even a small one.  Remember, we believed that our one vote didn’t count, but hopefully, given the recent past, we’ve been disabused of that notion. A small contribution may seem useless, but that’s where you are so wrong. Alone, that small contribution may seem a pittance, but all those small contributions in tandem, they feed families, house the poor, provide clean water, build homes, provide health care, educate children and so much more. 

Giving money is not the only way to help. There are countless ways that each one of us might chose to express his or her gratitude and thanks, and I prefer to leave that decision to you. What matters is that you act, however you choose. Remember, trite it may be, but actions speak louder than words.
With thanks and gratitude, lydia marie 

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Before the High Five

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A Student of the University of British Columbi...Image via Wikipedia
Why is it that the “little” accomplishments in our lives get short shrift? The big accomplishments like getting married, graduating college or graduate school, finally getting that perfect job, and countless others,  receive the huge accolades, high fives and atta girls. But, we forget about the blood, sweat, and tears, those little moments, without which, those memorable accomplishments would not, could not, have happened.  
I am talking about the myriad relationship issues that are the precursor to any marriage,  the determination, effort and dedication required to get the grades sufficient both to graduate college and for law school enrollment, and garnering scores high enough on graduate exams to qualify one for entrance and admission to graduate school. I could go on but I think that you get the point. No so called “big” accomplishment happens in a vacuum. There are numerous seemingly inconsequential or cumbersome tasks that are essential to the making of all big accomplishments. They go unnoticed but deserve acknowledgment, and short of accolades, silent thanks, for where would we be without them.

Blessings and Peace, lydia marie

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Quote of the Day

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“I never asked you to earn me. I want only that you should need me. Your path is not one of merit. Bring the recurring desires of your mind to me, every time they emerge. They cannot shock me, for I willed them! Bring me your confusion, your fear, your craving, your anxiety, your inability to love the world, your hesitation to serve, your jealousy, all the deficiencies that defy your spiritual disciplines.” ~Sri Sathya Sai Baba

All Will Be Well. Blessings, Peace & Love, lydia marie