Tag: thanksgiving

Amid the challenges, for this and more, I give thanks.

~ Jo-Anne Teal ~ 1 Comment

It is Thanksgiving 2021 and definitely time for me to consider the many blessings that have dotted my life over the past year, actually the past several years.

I always begin with my gratitude for having a job that pays my bills and a home that shelters me in more ways than keeping me out of the rain. I work for a wonderful organization that contributes to community and I have lived in my safe, pleasant apartment for many years. I am one of the lucky ones.

Since the pandemic, I have been blessed to work from home. Given past health issues, this truly has been a blessing.

I give thanks for the kindness of relative strangers, like my neighbour who volunteers cheerfully to collect my mail when he gets his.

I began meditating a bit this year. I’m just easing into it but I find a calm surround that lasts.

I give thanks for my coworkers who laugh and cajole as we get through our days. We are serious too but a shared sense of humour brings us together as a team.

Over the past months, I have been reading more and this lifts my spirits more than I can say. The beauty of creative writing is my passion. I love ideas and emotions, thoughts and styles, brought forward in unique tellings. Reading also makes my own poems and stories possible; it opens the wonder and what-ifs and why-nots.

Ultimately, I’m grateful for the past, the present and the future. There have been challenges, heartbreak, defeat – in other words, there has been life. But through even the worst of it I have always grasped and clung to hope.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Photo by eberhard 🖐 grossgasteiger on Unsplash

For this and more, I give thanks.

~ Jo-Anne Teal ~ 3 Comments

This year, I’ve discovered poetry. Yes, of course I knew of its existence previously. I had even rhymed and waxed on about a few words. But now, I delight in it.  I often participate in the biweekly Quadrille prompts over at d’Verse Poets Pub.  It’s a lovely way to shake up my thinking and staid, stale writing habits.

I’ve settled down. I know I’m slower but I tell myself it is because I’m more deliberate in my actions. No flitting, no flouncing, no sudden movements.This includes my thinking. No flitting or sudden movements of thought either. What a relief. Maturity has settled in and I’ve made it my friend.

I’ve realized the beauty in engaging others help. This actually began a couple of years ago when I called in 1-800-got-junk to take away the inherited broken patio furniture on my balcony. Three eager young people arrived, took it away, swept the balcony thoroughly. They insisted I just sit (playing to my strengths there) and point out what needed doing. Here’s the thing. I’d worried about that ‘stuff’ for a long time. It was a burden. When they took it away, I realized just how much it had bothered me. I pledged to myself to take the kinder, gentler way from then on: ask for help when I need it.

Quiet. It’s been months since I turned on the television. While I have always enjoyed listening to the news, and watching old movies, the noise of tv stresses me. When I get home from work, I like calm quiet (as much of it as a city neighbourhood can provide). I keep up to date through online sources, and at low volume.

Vegetarianism. I don’t think I can label myself truly vegetarian as I still eat seafood. But, the label isn’t as important as taking the action. It was a gradual change but one I felt called towards. I’m not an exciting vegetarian, I’m a mundane one. No fancy recipes, no moves to become vegan. Just me. Me and my carrots.

For all this, I give thanks.  In celebration, here’s Yo-Yo Ma, with Kathryn Stott, playing one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written. The Swan encompasses the seasons in the arc of a life. At least that’s what I think. Perfect for autumn and Thanksgiving.