Taking it all in

Living is like tearing through a museum. Not until later do you really start absorbing what you saw, thinking about it, looking it up in a book, and remembering - because you can't take it in all at once. Audrey Hepburn

November is a month at the end of harvest in the northern hemisphere. Starting after Halloween with anticipation for Thanksgiving and the craziness of Black Friday.  So often this time of year is the start of my stress season and it doesn't abate until Valentines day.  I am hoping to tackle the month in a new way.  I am approaching this month with gratitude from the beginning.  I added a new page, over on the right under my list of pages labeled "Be Thankful."  A reminder to myself that I am in control of how I can choose to be thankful.  I am taking a little different approach.  I am adding one new thing each day of something I am grateful for.  Instead of planning ahead and listing things, people and events that I am thankful for, I am slowing down my mad dash through the holidays and choose one thing out of the day that I am thankful for.  I started on Nov. 1 with gratitude for Skype making face to face conversations with loved ones far away possible.  What a blessing this is for me since I am partially deaf and wear hearing aides.  The added video improves my ability to keep up on a conversation with loved ones far away.  Nov. 2 I am thankful for nurses. Friday was a field trip with high school nursing students to visit a local college with an excellent nursing program.  The day reminded me how incredibly important nurses are to the welfare of all medical patients.  Often unsung heroes that make a wonderful difference.  Several of the nurses that have taken care of me over the years I hope get bonuses in Heaven.  One of the videos we watched was put together by nurses on a pediatric cancer ward.  I watched these dedicated nurses share their view of the amazing patients in their care.  Tears were in my eyes when a bald headed 7 year-old cancer fighter declared, "That which does not kill you makes you stronger."  I polished off the day with my wonderful sister helping my daughter prepare for her wedding.  Nov 3.  I am thankful for my husband. DH knows I love taking pictures.  He arranged to take me to an area called Oak Creek Canyon where fall colors really happen.  Living in a desert I am accustomed to just a different shade of brown.  Fall colors were amazing.  I am posting this early morning so I won't add Nov. 4 until late evening.  I hope by slowing down to consider the blessings each day, I will change the Holiday season from one of stress and triggers to joy and fun.

I am inviting you, my readers, to post comments with the heading "thankful" or "gratitude" and I will add your blessing to the friend section of this new page, "Be Thankful".