Motherhood

There's a saying, "A mother is only as happy as her least happy child." 

Thank You, God, for blessing my children with peace, joy, love and laughter.

Thank You, God, for blessing me with abundant happiness.

A Morning Walk

Nearly everyday this summer I have met my friend Denise to walk. We are blessed with a beautiful and safe place to walk. Today, I am grateful for my friend Denise and the path we walk together.

Stolen Kisses

My husband and I have been married for 32 years. Last night we went food shopping at BJs, and still, after all these years, he stopped what he was doing, a few times while shopping, to give me a kiss. I love that!

Thank You, God, for a wonderful marriage! I am eternally grateful!

The Law of Attraction

I love to write. I may not be published, or paid for my work, or even considered by others to be very good at it. That does not matter to me. I love to write. I need to write like I need to breathe. 

I would love to be able to draw. I want to learn how to draw. I try to draw all the time, but drawing, I admit, I am really bad at.

I dream of writing a beautiful book and embellishing it with my drawings. 

Yesterday, I received in the mail, a catalog for some classes. I did not request this catalog. It simply arrived, and guess what was in it?

A writing workshop taught by Julia Cameron at a time and place that works with my life, and at a price I can afford!

And

A drawing workshop! However, this workshop does not fit into my schedule or budget ... right now. 

What excites me, what I am abundantly grateful for, is that I attracted these workshops into my life. That God is blessing me with Divine Guidance to attract into my life what I want. 

Thank You, God!

Dream Accomplished

"I am independent! I can live alone and I love to work." -Mary Cassatt 

I read this quote this morning. I had no idea who Mary Cassatt was so I googled her and found out that she was an artist in the late 1800's - early 1900's. Like Louisa May Alcott, whom I've been recently reading about, she was determined to be independent.

This morning I realized that I had accomplished a dream I had in my early twenties - to be able to support myself. 

I am a teacher. When I began teaching, in the early 80's, I did not make enough money to support myself. Although I dreamed of having such an income, I married and my husband and I combined our incomes.

We had children, and I stopped working and stayed home with them. I am eternally grateful to have been able to stay home with my children. I observed, however, that my husband made enough money to support our family of six, and when I had stopped working I was yet earning enough to support myself.

I remained home with my children (quadruplets) until they were in second grade, then I returned to teaching part time. Still not earning enough money to support myself.

Several years later, when my children were in eighth grade, I returned to full time teaching. My salary was combined with my husband's to support our family. I no longer considered if my income was enough to support myself.

Now, let me make myself clear, I did not have any intention to go off and live alone. My biggest dream was to be married and have a family. However, for some reason it was important to me to earn an income that could support myself. The independent part of me was still there.

Just this morning, as I read Mary Cassatt's quote, I realized that at this point in my life, at age 55 with 25 years of teaching, I make enough money to support support myself and live comfortably.  I accomplished my dream, and hadn't even realized it.

Today, I am grateful for this accomplished dream. I am grateful that while I was living the life I dreamed of I was accomplishing a dream I had forgotten about. Or had I? 

I love my life! I am living the life of my dreams. I still have dreams. I am so excited for the future!

Thank You, God, for an abundant life!

Shop till You Drop

Yesterday, I had a wonderful day shopping with two of my daughters. We went, with grateful hearts, with the money God blessed us to spend. We went with grateful hearts that God blessed us with the day together. We literally shopped until our bodies said,"No more!" We came home joyfully exhausted.

Later that evening, my daughter who was not able to join us, asked each of us to show her what we bought. She was so happy for us that we had such a nice day. Although we all would have loved for her to be able to join us, she too had a very nice day. 

Today, I am grateful for being blessed with three daughters and the abundant love that we share. Thank You, God!

P.S. I have a son whom I love abundantly too. 

The Many People Who Serve and Bless Me

God, has placed many people in my life to serve and bless me. 

There are people I see: my mailman, the cashier at the supermarket, the gas attendant, the ladies who dry clean my clothes, my hair dresser, my manicurist, the UPS and Fed Ex drivers who deliver packages to my home, the waiter/waitress serving my food,... This list goes on. I am abundantly grateful for all these people whom God has placed in my life.

There are many others who are serving and blessing me that I will never see: the people who work everyday to make the clothes and shoes I wear, the accessories I carry, the appliances I use, my car, my iPhone, computer, iPad, pens, books, yarn, the furniture in my home, the tires on my car, the food I eat, the wine I drink, the laundry detergent I use, ... Everything I use everyday comes to me via another person. The roads I drive on, the stores I shop in, the electricity in my home all are there for me because of someone else. I am abundantly grateful for all these people God has placed in my life.

Today, I say, "Thank You, God, for every single person who is serving and blessing me."

Bless them abundantly.