Grateful For This Sacred Holiday Season

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This is a holy season for many people. Today is a sacred day for many – Good Friday. In addition, Spring seems to have finally arrived. Joyfulness is in the air. People seem happy during their holiday shopping for meal planning. Spring break travel options are on the news frequently. The seasonal rains, winds, tornados, and other weather events are giving us a break for the weekend. When outside this morning, I looked up to see the new blooms on my tree. My neighbors smiled and chatted as we all dragged our trash cans out for pick up. Positivity is in the air as we enter the weekend. My encounter with the pink blossoms caused me to pause and give gratitude for all that we have.

As some of us celebrate Easter or Passover or other… let’s pause to reflect on our lives, our Blessings, our families, our friends. This has been a tough year for some. Health issues, economic conditions, weather events, differences of opinions with others, and more have clouded the recent months. Some people are recovering from serious medical treatments. A friend phoned me today to say a family member passed away this afternoon.

In spite of these recent “negative” and “sad” life events, please make this is a time for celebration. Today is the day to reflect on life and the future. Give gratitude for all that you have been given. Give gratitude for others and their blessings. Give gratitude for life. Take a moment for thankfulness. Experience the joy that gratitude will bring to you.

Embrace the many lessons one will learn during this sacred time. Be silent and “listen”. Breathe in and out this life that we are experiencing today and in the future. Practice gratitude!

#gratitudeultra

Joy in Keeping Books Alive at THE LAST BOOKSTORE

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Go to the Spring Arts Tower at 5th and Spring in Los Angeles to find more than 250,000 books positioned creatively in a variety of displays across two floors. As a pushback against e-books go and enjoy actual books, including rare books and VINYL records at one of the world’s largest independent bookstores (2005).

Books offer so many benefits:

  • transport us to delightful experiences and lands
  • provide entertainment for individuals
  • teach us about new subjects and topics
  • remind us about our and other histories
  • introduce us to new ideas and concepts
  • challenge us regarding our current beliefs and value systems
  • offer us spiritual guidance so that we may find peace and understanding

I love to touch old books – the tactile experience is great. I love the smell of the pages in old books, as well as the worn pages from readers’ fingers before me. I do not get those sensory experiences from e-books.

The owner of The Last Bookstore has creatively displayed the thousands of books throughout the bookstore – as wall hangings, as a lighted tunnel, as walls, the torn and crumpled pages are displayed as a bush in a pot, as interesting windows through which one may peer and discover, and more.

I found great joy in the visit to The Last Bookstore. Go and check it out! Enjoy, with gratitude.

#gratitudelite

Joy in Discovering Historical Landmark in Los Angeles-Angels Flight Railway

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Recently, I took a ride on the 122 year old funicular in Los Angeles from South Hill Street to South Grand Avenue on Bunker Hill. Opening in 1901, Angels Flight is the world’s shortest railway.

Operating on a hillside by cable, the ascending and descending cars of the railroad are counterbalanced. Funiculars are different than cable cars as there are two cars on a steep hill on two opposite cables. As one goes up, the other goes down.

Check out my photos capturing some of the history of this Railway. See how it is hidden within the modern city of Los Angeles. I’m grateful to discover this old gem and take a round trip ride for only $2. You should try it too!

#gratitudelite

Grateful For Snow Capped Mountains

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The mountains are beautiful this week in Southern California because of all the snow we had recently. It is an experience to love the snow while at the same time feeling frustrated with each closing of the roads, Yosemite, Lake Arrowhead, and more.

Because of the recent snowfalls grocery stores are out of food, residents can not shovel out of the multiple feet of snow. It gives one mixed feelings… like the contrast of words “Beauty and the Beast”.

This historical snowfall will be remembered in California for the beauty it produced, causing all busy Californians to pause and look up, and be grateful for the snow capped mountains.

#gratitudelite

Grateful for Clean Air

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Watching the Ohio residents still in fear after the toxic chemical spill when the train derailed with so many hazardous materials (vinyl chloride, butyl acrylate, ethylhexyl acrylate, ethylene glycol mono butyl ether, and isobutylene) reminds us that our air is typically clean and safe for us to breathe and never worry about each day. This train accident, the burning of the chemicals, and countless residents begging for help for their children breaks my heart daily.

Imagine a time when you don’t feel safe to open your windows, go outside for a walk or run, or let your children play on a playground or community park! Consider the fear of serious illnesses in the future when the trail accident is long forgotten. Remember many people have COPD and asthma, or are on oxygen.

Our air is taken for granted by most of us. With this train accident, we are reminded to be grateful for the clean air all around us. Don’t take air for granted! People in war, near toxic waste dumps, next to accidents with chemicals, those working in large companies dealing with a variety of types of chemical use, or who are near city dumps, can not afford to take air for granted, yet they do everyday, without choice. They are forced to live in the air around them. They constantly advocate for cleaner, safer air for their loved ones. Sometimes they are successful; sometimes not. Many suffer the consequences many years later with poor health, and serious illnesses.

Don’t take air for granted! Be grateful for clean air!

#gratitudelite

Gratitude For Life

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For the past week I have been watching the news regarding the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. The death toll has exceeded 35,000 people and growing. They estimate more than one million are displaced from their homes and that number is climbing. The threats from infected water, lack of food, and extremely cold temperatures continue to add to the misery, sadness, and pain felt by people in that region. Today, 178 hours after the earthquake, a young girl was pulled from the rubble alive!

No matter what the political persuasion, the economic pressures, the religious differences, and/or the history between countries, it is wonderful to watch the help pouring in from around the globe. I feel joy for each life saved, and sadness for each life lost. Overall, I want to express gratitude for all life. Every human being is a precious gift.

#gratitudeultra

Intellectual Joy from Focus on Legacy

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I find intellectual pleasure when focusing on ideals and principles. Words and concepts publicly adopted are crucial historically when such much later form the cornerstones for policies. Today, we celebrate Martin Luther King. On other days, we focus on religious leaders, or politicians, or particular men or women honored throughout history.

What is meaningful to me is watching the history of an event or speech move from an ideal to a reality. Sometimes it takes a long time; other times the social change is quick.

My father, a minister, and my mother, a poet also left a powerful legacy for their children. Each of us care about others and entered into helping professions. Today, I also focus on their legacy for their children. I thank my parents for their legacy they passed down to me.

Public and private organizations routinely honor members for their contributions and legacies to their societies. One only has to read the background of each honoree to learn of their impressive, often selfless acts.

Today, I pause to focus on “Legacies” as without such, we would not have ideals and principles from which to develop concrete policies and programs. My joy comes from focus on legacy today. It is good to have values from which we become inspired and aspire to better acts and actions between our fellow men, women, families, neighbors, and communities.

#gratitudeultra

Gratitude For Prayer

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Recently a stranger approached me at a bakery and asked if she might pray for me. I said “sure” and then she asked if she might put her hand on me while praying. Again I said “sure” as I listened to particular words in her prayer with her young daughter looking up at me. It was not a typical experience. Immediately after another stranger (on the other side of me while waiting in line for the order) told me about her personal story with health issues. I listened and wished her well. While these types of conversational exchanges are increasingly emerging throughout my everyday life, and I am deeply grateful for each and every human interaction, I wonder “why” persons are drawn to me to pray or engage within deeply meaningful exchanges.

I firmly believe that “healing” during any illness occurs as a result of medical science in part, but most importantly, occurs because of the power of prayer. I am learning that the “healing experience” is a collective one, shared mainly by those who have experienced the deepest valleys and highest mountaintops of fears and hopes. Prayer is at the center of most monumental human experience.

Personally, as I grow older I want to learn more about prayer. For example, do you know that there are many different types of prayer (from gotquestions.org)?

  • The prayer of faith
  • The prayer of agreement
  • The prayer of request or supplication
  • The prayer of thanksgiving
  • The prayer of worship
  • The prayer of intercession
  • The prayer of imprecation
  • Praying in the Spirit
  • An invocation prayer

There is great power in prayer and I am grateful for each and every prayer I hear, participate in, offer to God, and receive. I feel such gratitude each and every time someone or a group of individuals prays. How ’bout you?

#gratitudeultra

Grateful For the Love of My Pet

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Ten years ago I adopted this little two year old dog. He has now lost his hearing and is growing older like all of us, but each day he brings me increasing joy. Today I want to honor my little best friend. What a wonderful pet he continues to be.

Thank you buddy for your continued unconditional love. With deep gratitude, love you!

#gratitudezero

Grateful That Beauty Hunts The Beast

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Recently I spent nearly two hours in an MRI Tube at the City of Hope. Fortunately, I listened to music while in the large, tube-shaped magnet and tried to imagine the persons who created such technology. As I listened to the various tones and noises within the tube, I thought about movies I had watched where 3-D images were built using water molecules and radio waves, creating aligned atoms to form cross-sectional MRI images. With each noise, I tried to think what bodily organ was built as I was rolled a little bit in, then a little bit out repeatedly. When the frequencies sounded low, I believed my bones were being examined and the density of the bone required lower frequencies. Of course, I really have no idea what was happening in terms of the actual technology, but it gave my mind something to do, so I would not become afraid.

Somewhere during the midpoint of my experience, the song “Beauty and the Beast” began to play. I paused and felt extremely happy. I felt such joy that I had the opportunity to be in that tube – the BEAUTY of science. In the old days, doctors had to perform exploratory surgery to learn of hidden tumors, bleeding, and various health problems. My gratitude overflowed to have Medicare pay for me to have the opportunity to have an MRI. Around about that same moment – I visualized the BEAST that was the cancer cell that was sneaking and lurking within my organs, and vessels. Again, my gratitude overflowed that Medicare was helping me find these beastly cells so that we may remove them from my body.

It was such an interesting moment in life. I am grateful that Beauty Hunted The Beast on that particular December day. Find Gratitude each day in all that you do!

#gratitudeultra