(not necessarily in that order)
How lovely it’s been to be relatively still and inward on the winter solstice.
And a rare blessing it is, as we’re usually up to our eyeballs in Christmas prep during this week. But with the concert behind us and (for once) not being in charge of Christmas Eve music, we were quick to take this opportunity.
I’m so grateful we did, as I’ve enjoyed some deep meditations with important insights.
Bring on the light!
What a blessing to be able to stay home — warm and cozy — in such stormy weather.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m extremely grateful for days of heavy rain (though the intense winds were less appreciated).
It’s just that I’m equally grateful not to have had to get in the car and go anywhere in the midst of it all!
I’m sure it won’t come as a surprise to learn that I’m particularly grateful for some very specific things this Thanksgiving season.
I also want to take this opportunity to let everyone know that I’m doing extremely well physically. It’s true that I still have to be careful to avoid viral infections (as my immune system comes fully back online), but my energy is so good that the only other “danger” I have to guard against is slipping back into “normal” mode too quickly.
Why? Because my usual tendency has always been to neglect the subtle and holistic self-care elements that can lead to deeper levels of healing. And I feel one of the major lessons of this whole experience has been to wake me up to the absolute importance of true self-care. So, I’m working on it!
I love and appreciate each and every one of you, and hope you’ve enjoyed a blessed Thanksgiving, filled with an abundance of love and joy.
I’ve been on a roll with rearranging things in our apartment, which means going through boxes and papers and discarding a lot of unnecessary clutter.
I did finish in time to attend our first real Thanksgiving dinner since 2019(!), but I’m going to have to do post-Thanksgiving calls and cards.
However, while working, I was reflecting on all that I have to be grateful for…and it’s an extremely long list.
I give thanks to the Giver behind each gift, and to the one Giver behind all that I receive. My gratitude rises with devotion’s incense to the throne of Omnipresence.
— Swami Kriyananda
I came to an important realization today: this wasn’t really the right time to attempt the full nourishing cleanse. I had the bandwidth to make the dietary changes, but trying to add in the other self-care elements has proved challenging and even frustrating.
So, I’m hitting the pause button with the intention of rescheduling it for sometime after Christmas and/or early in the new year. At that point we’ll have been back longer, plus the intense “getting ready for the holidays” energy will be behind us.
The good news is that I feel good about this decision. I plan to continue most of what I’ve been doing, but with a more relaxed attitude as I gradually add back in a bit more food variety.
Bottom line is that I’m grateful for the “course correction” this past week of super healthy eating has given me. I’m grateful for the microbiome mash and for the motivation to learn how to use my Instant Pot. And I’m grateful that the process will be that much easier the next time around.
But most importantly, I’m grateful for being flexible and gentle with myself.
It’s a bit of an adjustment, but I’m feeling extremely grateful for this cold, gloomy, rainy day.
Why?
For one thing, I appreciate moisture for it’s own sake.
I’m also hopeful that today, tomorrow, and the rain that’s forecast for next week will signal the end of fire season for this year. Wouldn’t that be great?!?
I’ve always loved the beautiful view from our apartment, but there’s nothing like being away for a couple of months to raise my appreciation to a whole other level!
I sat in the last rays of the sun early this evening and marveled at the light and the quiet as the day drew to an end.
Moments of magic for which I am deeply grateful.
I’ve been packing pretty much all day and am now officially out of steam.
There’s still more to do but it’s going to have to wait until the morning.
It’s actually a little sad to be leaving this space that has sheltered and nurtured us throughout this long and rather intense experience.
Feeling very grateful.
I think I neglected to mention that when they removed the catheter from my chest, I still had to wait another week before I could take a full shower.
It had to do with the fact that the opening where the catheter had been led to my heart, so it had to heal completely before I could allow it to get wet.
But finally the moment arrived. I am soooo grateful and hope I never take hot showers entirely for granted ever again.
I find this fascinating. All extremely common words, but it would never in a million years have occurred to me to compare the number of letters in each one.
But I’m grateful that it occurred to someone (thank you, whoever you are), because it has caused me to reflect on how important it is to choose rightly.
So along those lines: I choose love, friends, and truth; I choose to be positive; I choose to rise above and to live in joy; I choose to be happy; I choose what is right; and I choose to heal.
And so it is.