“I have decided to stick to love…Hate is too great a burden to bear.”
–Martin Luther King Jr., A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches
There was a tragic school shooting, here in Canada, at a high school in Saskatchewan. The snowstorm to rival all storms hit parts of the US. Sounds like a rough week, right?
As for me, I keep letting social media get to me, but if it weren’t for Facebook I still would have heard the news. The other day there was another birth announcement, in the family, and even though I am incredibly happy for the new parents, I found myself having a moment.
Why does it happen for some and not others? How will I be okay if it never happens to me?
I need to keep writing it down, reasons why I am grateful, and marking the little things that are infused with beauty and sweetness. That’s why I am here, to find the good in life when sometimes, well sometimes it just sucks.
For finally getting to live in such a hip country.
The New York Times Gives Backhanded Compliment, Describes Canada as “Suddenly…HIP?”
Finally!!!
Trudeau praises Waterloo’s brilliant, innovative minds on world stage
Thanks for making us hip Justin.
🙂
Okay, so I’m aloud to begin with a bit of a sarcastic thankful once and a while, aren’t I? Can I still count it?
For snow, even when it’s cold, which it always is.
🙂
(Just a little something for any of the US bloggers who read the TToT, to maybe cheer them up, if the storm didn’t knock out power that is.)
I don’t know why, but I include snow in this list. Perhaps it’s one of those hip Canadian things.
🙂
For perspective, as shown by this photo, and which connects nicely with my next thankful.
Both Sides of the Story – Phil Collins
For forgiveness and the chance to explore my thoughts on the concept.
Both Sides of the Forgiveness Story, #1000Speak
Getting a little perspective on a situation often leads to a better chance for forgiveness.
For rejection.
I can’t believe I am saying this. I sure didn’t feel it in the moment, but I am trying to let each rejection of my writing give me more and more of the determination to keep working at it.
It was painful, just like one of those first rejections I received, almost exactly this time, on another cold January day a few years back.
I don’t know yet if I believe all that stuff about not giving up, letting rejections fuel you, but I know it’s true deep down, somewhere. Even the biggest writers have been rejected at one time. Not every place is going to love or want your writing. I am just thankful I have found the nerve necessary to share, to try, and to get back up and try again.
For an unexpected reminder of what colours look like, something I miss everyday, and from the beautiful mind of a child.
I apologize for all the pingbacks Lisa.
🙂
For a successful vidchat with blogger friends.
It took a couple weeks to get back to it, but I’m glad it worked out for so many.
There they all were, and there I was, communicating through my phone.
That technology really is pretty cool. Speaking of technology…
For past, present, and future.
As I wrote out some homework of sorts for the writing workshop I was attending in the morning, I thought about days of homework past.
I needed to be able to just read out loud in class, so I pulled out my old, heavy duty Perkins machine. I had forgotten how hard on the arms it can be to jam away at those keys.
The next morning, at the workshop, I brought my Braille Sense, instead of my laptop this time. A Braille Sense is an electronic typewriter of sorts. I could write braille, like with an old broiler. There are three advantages: not so heavy a machine to carry, easier on my arms, and much quieter in class. My old schoolmates know what I mean and only wish I had today’s technology back then.
😉
Technology is always improving, bigtime since I was growing up, and a full tactile/braille tablet is up next. I can’t wait to get me one of these.
For the second of three Saturday morning writing workshops I’ve been attending with a wonderful instructor and for the one who made sure I didn’t miss out. Thanks for the ride. Thank you both for giving me the chance to do what I love.
In the creative writing workshop I am doing at the moment the writer/instructor is helping us appreciate moments, as we write, small things in life.
This is kind of what Lizzi is speaking of here:
It’s what Carrie was speaking of, to one of the mothers in the group, that the special things and the funny things and the wise things come and go and come again, but some things are over and gone. Small moments. Then Lisa found a way to capture one of them, a snapshot of what her own child is thinking and how she sees the world at a young age. The world will never get something quite like that again. Now it’s caught in writing.
For some new friends showing me a new experience.
I don’t know how many of you know anything at all about Dungeons & Dragons, but I knew only what The Big Bang Theory showed of the game.
I didn’t want to go in with too many preconceived notions. I did not want to judge until I saw for myself.
I guess what I was thankful for about it was the chance to not be myself, not really, but instead to become whatever else I wanted, for a few hours. I was a neutral sorcerer. I wasn’t Kerry for a while and that break from the harsh realities of life was the welcomed part, that and laughing with some interesting people.
“Take it easy. Take it easy. Don’t let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy. We may loose and we may win, but we may never be here again.”
We say goodbye to Glenn Frey, another rock musician, but these words calmed me down this week when I needed to hear them.
“Life is terribly deficient in form. Its catastrophes happen in the wrong way and to the wrong people. There is a grotesque horror about its comedies, and its tragedies seem to culminate in farce. One is always wounded when one approaches it. Things either last too long or not long enough.”
–Oscar Wilde
Her Headache 
FRIST!
You always have uplifting thankfuls, Kerry! You have to struggle so to read and write, when it’s something I never give a thought to, and yet you never complain; you just explain.
I think Canada is hip – you don’t have Donald Trump, do you?! 🙂
Explain don’t complain.
Wow. Thank you. I am glad that comes across in my writing. I find people definitely respond better.
You are the first/frist indeed.
And thanks for the smile. You made my night with your Trump comment.
🙂
The Oscar Wilde quote is brilliant. I’m thankful you included it.
I’m glad you’re able to think the right thoughts about these things. Feeling the ‘right’ way is harder and takes longer, but you seem determined – I hope you get there 🙂
I liked it. I thought it covered a lot of ground, summing up life quite nicely.
🙂
Yes. It may take me fifty years, but I am determined to get to the promise land of acceptance.
🙂
Have a good week Lizzi and thanks for the Small Things post. Hope you don’t mind me including it.
Not at all! Feel free to include anything I write, any time you like.
I hope to get to that acceptance, too. We can walk alongside each other, I reckon, and boost each other onwards 🙂
Hi Kerry. I’m glad, when you are feeling sad, the ttot helps put things into a bit of perspective for you. It works for me. I briefly attended the Vid Chat but just to say hi. I saw your K, which means we were both there at the same time. I’m struggling with the 2+ feet of snow we got here. It’ll melt, right? Off to read your links.
I like being known by K.
🙂
I heard you too, but your voice was faint. Inevitably, when there are that many there, even when there aren’t that many, some voices come through stronger than others.
I am still getting familiar with which voices are which. It’s taking me longer than I would like.
frickin Oscar Wilde….nearly all of his stuff is so… cool.
Glad we’re getting the vidchat back on track (don’t want to jinx it for this Friday) but the idea of having people hanging out without the (social) pressure that often accompanies gatherings in the ‘real’ world.
like ’em
I thought his quote was appropriate. And yes, as I don’t tend to do all that well in many social gatherings.
No need to apologize for the pingbacks! I’m delighted that the post touched you so. And again, Zilla was so happy when I read her your comment about being able to “see” blue again. A moment – and a great one – on both ends.
I think Canada’s pretty hip. You don’t have quite nonsense up there with some of the stuff we do down here. Or at least it seems that way, sometimes. After seeing the news of the shooting, I was kind of like “what’s going on??? Canada doesn’t do that???” I’d like to live in a world where that headline doesn’t happen anywhere.
Hope to catch you at vidchat this week!
Oh the whole world is full of nonsense I’m afraid.
Yes, but my problem is that nobody sees me because I can’t see the screen and must be doing something to make it mad at me.
What a beautiful picture of the snowman and the birds! I like the way you folded all those links in with your post. I am so out of the blogosphere these days. I need to get back to reading. And writing.
It’s nice to see you here.
🙂
Thank you for visiting my blog.
Really beautifully written, Kerry, I thoroughly enjoyed it! Look forward to reading more from you 🙂 It was nice to meet you in the vidchat the other night!
Xo. Abbie
Thank you. I enjoy reading your posts as well. It was nice to meet you too.
I’m visiting Canada for the first time this summer, and I’m so excited! I’ve always thought it was hip. The snow though…school is closed here for the fifth day in a row tomorrow! We just can’t handle our snow here – Canada could teach us a few things!
Ah, thanks. We likely could.
Which part of Canada are you visiting? I can almost guarantee there will be no snow when you do visit.
🙂
Even Canada has time without snow during the year.
We are visiting Vancouver and Victoria in July – so I hope there’s no snow!
Hopefully global warming won’t have gotten that bad by then.
🙂
I’m a little jealous. I’m never been out west myself. Have a great time when you go.
A Braille tablet? That would be cool! I think it is really nice to hear of technology really making a difference in people’s lives–like the artificial limbs that can be made inexpensively for children (and adults) using 3-D printers!
It would be cool. Yes.
Fantastic list – I can appreciate a bit of sarcasm with gratitude, it just keeps it real.
As for the snow, you can keep it. BRRR.
Thank you. I would like to try and keep it real. It’s how I roll.
🙂
And I will do my best to hang onto the snow.