There But For The Grace Of God Go I ~ #MondayBlogs

Years ago I used to share office space with a lovely lady by the name of Ruth. Whenever Ruth heard of anyone's misfortune she always uttered the words "There But For The Grace Of God Go I."  Through the many years since I worked with her I've often found myself uttering those words in appreciation of my own blessings.

It's hard to hear news of someone else's sorrows and not empathize and when we empathize we find ourselves shuddering in fear as we realize the same thing could have happened to us. And we are thankful that it didn't — and then maybe we feel a tad guilty even though we shouldn't. Being grateful for our own fortunes doesn't mean that we don't feel for them.

We should always realize the things we have to be thankful for and never turn our backs because not everything goes our way. We should also, no matter how strongly we feel someone else's pain, never lose sight of joys. Each morning that we wake is an opportunity and each night that we close our eyes to sleep is an achievement.

A good reminder for me and the way I live my life is the Tarot card, the five-of-cups. The common depiction is of a sorrowful figure who is focusing  on three overturned spilled cups and ignoring the two full cups behind; although the meaning is a card of loss, it shows us that there is still something left. Never ignore all the joys and riches you have in life, concentrate on the good things. Like the old adage, "When life gives you lemons make lemonade," life is what you make of it.

Does this mean that we have to settle, no. We are still allowed to want, to set goals for ourselves, and even to appreciate the occasional win. We can be happy. I think the moral is that we shouldn't devalue the good things we have no matter what we may not have gotten in our lives. 

Appreciate everyone you have in your life.
Be happy with the things you have.
Enjoy life.

A Few of My Favorite Things

A Day to Be Grateful...

Traditionally Americans are coerced into reciting all of the things they are thankful for before feasting on gluttonous meals yearly on the fourth Thursday in November. Several other cultures celebrate similar days of thanks as well. Hopefully each one of us remembers to appreciate and be grateful for all that we have the other 364 days in the year.

Before I sit at my family's Thanksgiving table tomorrow, I wanted to take the time to thank all of my readers - blogs, books and articles - and all of my social network friends for allowing me room in their lives. My wish for each of you is to have many, many, MANY reasons to be grateful every day.

I feel the need to mention just some of the things I thank G-d for everyday: My husband, our children and their soul-mates, our combined siblings and their families, our cousins, extended family and mishpocha (relatives through blood & marriage), our cats and other family pets,the professionals I get to work with in a job I love, my publisher and fellow authors at VHP, the friendships I've made through work, a warm home, my needs being met and lots of hopes and dreams we are all working towards. I am thankful for so many of the people I've known in my life, even several who are no longer present, and the experiences and joys I've been allowed to see. I've been blessed to find some of my closest friends among the very people I call family, and friends who have become family. I can earnestly say It IS a Wonderful Life.

May you and yours enjoy all of the goodness 

and blessings of the day

 and forever have reason to be thankful! 

This is dedicated to the ones I love...