Friday, August 18, 2023

Fly On The Wall In The Month Of Gratitude


Welcome to another edition of Fly On The Wall group blog postings hosted by Karen of Baking In A Tornado. Today, Karen and I are sharing glimpses of what you would see and hear in our houses if you were a nosy little fly buzzing around. This month, the fly has caught me in a month of reflection and gratitude. Why such deep thoughts? Well, updating a will can do that to you. 


A few weeks ago, Husby and I realized that our will was REALLY old--like written before our last child was born. Yikes! So we had to meet with our lawyer and update everything---a Living Will, the kids' trust, the house deed, insurance policies, etc. It was a heavy conversation with the lawyer and of course, we had to go over all of it again with our adult children. They don't like thinking about the inevitable but we need to make sure they will be well taken care of long after we are gone.  


So, this whole process got me thinking deeply about my husband's and my mortality....and the importance of appreciating the life we have. I spent far too many years of my youth in a quagmire of self-loathing and depression, which often led to suicide ideation. Thankfully, over time I was able to put some of that anxiety aside and seek help. Now I wake every morning feeling incredibly grateful that I've been blessed with another dawn. I also end each day by reading several pages from my bible (the goal is to read it front-to-back---I'm more than halfway through it!) and sending up prayers of gratitude. I know everybody has their own beliefs and their own way of expressing thankfulness--this is just what works best for me!


Counting my blessings has become key to boosting my mental well-being. I have a running list of what I'm grateful for, and of course, it goes without saying that I appreciate my husband, family, friends, pets, home, my health, and my awesome job writing for AARP ( I have the best editors!!). But there are so many other things to be grateful for, too, such as......


DOGS. Especially my snorting, farty, little pugs! I will never stop having a pug by my side. 

CHOCOLATE. I don't even need to explain this one. 

COFFEE. Again, no explanation needed


.
MUSIC. I love all music, but I just discovered the band Greta Van Fleet and I am officially obsessed.

NEIGHBORS. I have the absolute best people living on my street. We're all close and I adore them!


GARDENS. There is no better place to see God's handiwork, and He has doubly blessed me with an extraordinary backyard (but I also have the ultimate gardener in Husby). Seriously, my heart does a little happy dance when I see the flowers blooming all around me. 


HUMOR. This is super important!! I laugh out loud at least 5 times a day and let me tell you, it is 100% therapeutic!

The list goes on and on...modern medicine, cold weather, hearty crockpot meals, RVing, cruising, squirrels (and all wildlife in general), reconnecting with childhood friends on social media, throwing parties, swimming pools, coloring with my grandbabies, holding hands across the table with Husby while sipping cocktails at an intimate restaurant, watching a thunderstorm from my front porch, kissing and cuddling, trips to St. Augustine.....and last but not least, YOU, dear readers! August 27 marks 12 years since I started blogging, and I wouldn't have gotten this far in my career without your love and support. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!


***WANT MORE MENO MAMA? Check out my first humorous-but-informative article on menopause symptoms for Healthgrades HERE  I also have an article on the benefits of healthy eating for AARP that you can read HERE plus one on nutritious morning meals HERE and another on "easy breakfasts for people on the go," which you can read HERE

Now go check out what the nosy fly has been up to at Karen's blog, Baking In A Tornado



Posted by at

4 comments:

  1. Karen BakingInATornadoAugust 18, 2023 at 10:02 AM

    This post made me a little teary, and made me smile. Family is everything.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. menopausal mamaAugust 18, 2023 at 10:18 AM

      Awwwww thanks! And I am very grateful for your friendship!

      Delete
  2. Jo-Anne's RamblingsAugust 18, 2023 at 4:46 PM

    Life in you house is more interesting then it is in my house as lately we go no where and do nothing, our conversations are about how worried I am about Tim, as he isn't eating and I mean not eating going days without even a mouthful of food. He bought himself some beef jerky and has had some of that the last couple of days.

    When it comes to wills neither of my parents had one and I don't as I have bugga all but I have what I call my last wishes written out and stored on my laptop and in Tim's safe.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. menopausal mamaAugust 20, 2023 at 6:23 PM

      As long as you have something written down---that's good. I'm sorry to hear about Tim---hopefully he will get his appetite back soon!

      Delete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Shareaholic

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...