Be grateful, no matter what happens in your day.  In times of trouble, be grateful.  At times of uncertainty, give thanks.  In times of sorrow, think of all the things that are still good in your life.  I am not in the least bit perfect in doing this myself, but it is something I strive to do.  And the reason I do this is because I have found, for myself, that there is grace to be found if I just look for it.

I remember reading a true story about a woman who was living in a concentration camp.  Her attitude and her capacity for love and gratitude kept her sane and she found joy in little things.  Everyday, she would save a scrap of her meager portion of food to give to a dog that waited for her at the fence surrounding the camp.  It gave her great joy to be able to give something to this starving animal.  And it made her grateful that she could do this small thing for a fellow creature.

Few people would be able to see things in this way, or even consider such a thing to be a source of joy, or a reason to be thankful.  But because of this way of thinking and feeling, she survived well.

When I have tried to do this, I have always found that gratitude works in this way.  It is a choice that benefits oneself as much as it does the recipient of one’s kindness.  Maybe it benefits the giver even more than the receiver.  I know that every time I think and do these small things for others, that joy and gratitude are the gifts I receive in return.

If one is grateful, it is impossible to be unhappy.  If one just thinks about the times this has been true for oneself, there is a memory that one can call to mind in situations where a person can be there for someone else.  It is up to each of us to find our own unique way in which to see the ways we can help others.  And when one does this, gratitude is just a byproduct of our behavior.  And joy comes along for the ride.

I have always written, but never considered it journaling.  This is probably because I didn’t have the journal itself to write in, with just a few exceptions.  Recently, I found a journal I wrote in while living in California. It was in the 80’s and telephone calls were expensive.  We usually talked to our parents once a week on the phone.  So, my mom and I wrote to each other, at least weekly, if not more.  That was almost like a journal.

But at one point, we came up with an idea and I actually began to write in a journal describing our daily lives to give to mom.  Now that my mom has passed, I found the journal I had given to her.  It was so amazing, looking back at our lives then when our children were young and all the activities we were involved in at the time.  There were so many things I had forgotten.  There were wonderful details that brought me back to those happy, busy times.  It made me tired just thinking of all the activities we were involved in at church, school and in the community.

I was flabbergasted by all of it.  I didn’t remember how much we would do in just one week.  It brought back so many lovely memories.  What a gift it was to read about our lives then.  Happy memories are such a wonderful gift!  And I put in so much detail that it was almost like watching a movie in my mind.  

The only other times I have written in a daily journal was when we were on trips to Europe. There were many experiences to remember and the hospitality of our relatives when we visited them.  I have sat and read them and enjoyed the trips all over again as if for the first time.

It has brought back memories that have allowed my mind to relive the wonderful times all over again.  Maybe I should buy a new journal to leave behind to the next generations of our families. Then they will know more about us through the memories of our past.  It will be a written legacy to share and pass on to the next generation.

It seems I have been plagued with meandering thoughts for a very long time.  Hence, the impetus for writing my “Random Ramblings” blog.  The odd thing is that I never realized this about myself for many years.  Being gifted with wonderful friends and family, I never was admonished.  In fact, by my family and friends, it was never even pointed out to me. That I would go off on tangents never was mentioned, even though I must have been difficult to follow in conversations with them.  I don’t have any idea how they put up with my ramblings.

I appreciate this more than I can even express.  That a person can navigate the path of my words as they create sentences veering off into who knows how many forks in my verbal travels, is beyond me!  And as I write this, it occurs to me that on paper it must be easier to read, than in person.  It is because my written words can be edited. When I write, I find evidence of this.  And then, I can easily correct it.

Not so, in conversation.  It’s like the first draft that never gets read and corrected.  It embarasses me, just thinking about it!  What my friends must think of me!  The fact that they follow me and seem to understand me is beyond my comprehension.  I am blessed beyond belief!

I guess that is the true value of friends, who like you in spite of your foibles and listen to you without judging.  How amazing that is!  It is both a gift and a grace.  

Maybe my meandering thoughts are amusing at times.  Perhaps, people get used to them and ignore them.  Either way, I have won the lottery to have these people in my life.  And for that, I am eternally grateful.   

Some years ago, I would pick up a friend’s mother and take her to church with me.  My friend went to a later mass, but her mom liked to go to the earlier one, which I cantored (led) the singing.  She was a delightful companion and also funny.  She always said, “Getting old isn’t for sissies!”

I thought of it as a phrase that didn’t apply to me yet, and so it amused me.

She has passed on, but I think of her and her wise words quite often.  I really don’t want to be a sissy!  And I agree that living well as we get older requires us to face the loss of strength in many areas of our lives.  It certainly isn’t easy to do quite a lot of things without bucking up and getting on with the responsibilities we once handled so easily.  And it is true that I move slower and avoid more things, such as stairs and anything that requires me to bend over or kneel.  My energy level has dramatically changed.  I am taking longer to do things that used to be effortless.

In other words, I am not the same person with regard to my physical abilities.  I am not yet feeble, but I just don’t have the drive or stamina for many activities.  My mom used to say, “The old gray mare, she ain’t what she used to be.”  Actually she sang it to me in her lovely voice with a beautiful smile on her face.  Sometimes we sang the song together.  It was so much fun.

I find myself thinking about these two sentences that now apply to me, and the wisdom of these two wonderful moms.  One thing can be true throughout our lives, even when we get old, (and gray).  But if we choose well, we will not be sissies even if we ain’t what we used to be.  And that will be just fine with me.