Tag Archives: gratitude

Who Do You Honor This Mothers Day?

Happy Mothers Day to the women who are reading this.

Some moms are already posting pictures on social media of the flowers their children have given them. My husband bought me a beautiful plant. (I hope I can keep this one alive.) I have also noticed many women who vent their feelings of frustration, anger, and sorrow about the coming Sunday when we celebrate our mothers.

Those who aren’t mothers yet, or who haven’t been able to become mothers, for whatever reason, speak of their embarrassment when wished a Happy Mothers Day. Or sorrow, or grief, or regret, or … The emotions vary as widely as the women who do not (yet) have children and are not (yet) mothers.

Other women feel guilt because they aren’t the perfect mothers you read about in the Mothers Day card section or the songs the children sing. (I always cringed at the “Your happy smiling face”. For some reason, I didn’t alwyas feel like smiling.) Perfection just isn’t possible, but moms feel guilty because they haven’t yet achieved it.

Some women struggle with Mothers Day because their relationships with their own mothers isn’t as good as it could be. Or they feel sad because the relationship with their mom or stepmom ended with the death of their mothers.

Ad infinitum. The grief and sorrow continues with multiple variations of all these excuses and more. Many women struggle to find any joy or honor on the day set apart to honor mothers and women.

Believe it or not, I’ve had all those feelings burn in my heart and soul. Yes, I now have children and grandchildren, but I went through a painful time when I wondered if I would ever be a mother and hear my little ones sing, “Mother dear I love you so.”

I am blessed to still have my mother here with us. She’s now 86, and in general good physical and mental health. Not many women my age can say that. I’m grateful that I can go visit her on Sunday.

This Mothers Day, I am thinking of our first mother, Eve. She struggled with her children and grandchildren who didn’t always listen or do as they were asked. They made choices contrary to those she would have chosen. They caused her hurt feelings and great sorrow. I can only imagine how sad a Mothers Day would have been for her in the years after Cain killed Abel. Such sorrow!

Still, I look to her in gratitude as our first mother and thank her for taking that one step, eating that fruit or whatever it was that caused her to be ejected from the Paradise that was Eden. She did it to give us life, for until she did that, she and Adam were alone in the garden and no new life was created. I am grateful for her willingness to leave that perfect place so we could have life.

So, this mothers day, I honor Eve.

What about you mothers? Who do you honor and remember this year? I’d love to hear your stories if you struggle, if you are sad, or if you are grateful to be with your mom or … I’d love to hear.

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I Give Thanks for You

img_1661Thanksgiving is almost here. I can almost smell the turkey and the pumpkin pie. I’m looking forward to gathering with my family to eat good food and thank our God for all our wondrous blessings this year. We have been abundantly blessed.
For the last few years, I participated in National Novel Writers Month (NaNoWriMo). In those years I wrote the rough drafts (or most of them) for three books. This year, however, I’ve spent my November working on editing and polishing the draft for my second book and getting those things done that are required for my first book. It has been just as busy as working to write 50,000 words toward a new one.
Book 1 in my first series, Ancient Matriarch, is almost ready. I plan to publish Eve: First Matriarch in January. I am grateful to have it this close. Only a few, very important things, left to be done. Book 2, Ganet: Wife of Seth, was sent to my editor this week, and my short story is almost ready to be sent to the valuable readers of my newsletter. (If you would like to read it, or know someone who would like a free short story, sign up for my newsletter—found on the upper right corner of this page.) Keep an eye on your email for it. It should be soon!
I hope you enjoy your turkey sits well with you and you don’t gain lots of weight. As you meet with family and friends, remember your blessings. I am grateful for you. What are you grateful for?

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Is Your Gratitude Thoughtful?

Happy Thanksgiving!20151124_141035 (1)

This is the beginning of the holidays, regardless of your worship beliefs. I hope you have a lovely, happy season. As this is the time of gratitude, I extend my gratitude to you, my readers. It has been a joy sharing my thoughts and opinions with you.

We live in a time of turmoil and fear. We fear strangers and those “others.” I suggest we turn our thoughts to trust in God, love of family, and gratitude for our multitude of blessings. Most of us in the United States have more than those who have fled from war and violence. We have homes to protect us from the weather, clothing to keep us warm, a bed and bedding to sleep in, some form of transportation besides our feet, access to technology, and food to eat—probably much more than we should on holidays like Thanksgiving.

As you join with loved ones for your Thanksgiving meal, bow in gratitude to God for all you have and think of, or share, at least one thing you are grateful for. I am grateful for family, my God, a warm home, the desert southwest where I live, (with no or little snow), a reliable car, plenty of food, and technology.

I am also happy to have completed my novel for this National Novel Writing Month. I have the basics for four books in my series, Ancient Matriarchs. The first is closer every week. I appreciate my awesome artist who should be painting my cover sometime soon. I can’t wait to see it, and share it with you, my readers.

Eve remembered gratitude during her life. Together with Adam, I believe a major part of their weekly Sabbath service was spent in offering thanks to Jehovah for their current blessings. I work to follow this example.

What are you especially grateful for? I’d love to see a long list of gratitudes on this page. Will you join me?

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