Gratitude and Forgiveness
I was told my a mentor of mine that two of the greatest gifts of striving for emotional or spiritual health are Gratitude and Forgiveness.
I have been struggling this past week with a vexing chronic illness, and spent 4 full days at Univ. of Washington Medical Center getting tests: one C.T. scan, 2 MRI's, lots of blood work and eight different doctor appointments.
Despite my occasional whining about my illness, I am very grateful to be alive and intact in 2008. I am always grateful after spending a day in the hospital: to patients I meet who are worse off than me and inspire me with their courage; to UWMC for being a World Class teaching hospital and for having Medical Insurance which makes wellness possible for me.
I am very grateful to the Democratic Party in 2008:
1. for Howard Dean and the amazing 52-state strategy which will yield some big wins in November.
2. for Dennis Kucinich's courageous calls to impeachment.
3. for an intense and vital Primary, peopled by the finest group of candidates ever assembled by our Party in one election cycle.
4. for the campaigns of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Bill Richardson, in particular.
5. for General Wesley Clark's brave truth-telling.
6. for PartyBuilder and the good Democratic bloggers here who have taught me so very much in the past 11 months, courtesy of the DNC for sponsoring the blog.
I am also grateful to live in the beautiful Northwest and in a fantastic, livable city: Seattle, my adopted hometown.
I am grateful for the science and research that takes place in the USA, particularly the space exploration projects sponsored by NASA.
I am especially grateful to friends and family who have provided me with unconditional support during the difficult past two weeks, particularly to my partner, Joey Visco.
High Summer is an especially inspiring time to make amends, to forgive and to reconcile. There is nothing like a day at the lake or the beach to put on into a positive mind-set that makes these tasks possible. This summer, I am in the process of reconciling with one of my sisters, with whom I hadn't spoken in 18 years.
Today, I forgive the religion of my upbringing for real and imagined pain.
Today, I forgive the PB'rs who dropped me from friends lists when I announced my support for Obama. One day we will be friends again.
Today, I forgive my father with the knowledge that he did the best he could do with the given circumstances of his life.
So, what are you grateful for today? Whom do you forgive?
I have been struggling this past week with a vexing chronic illness, and spent 4 full days at Univ. of Washington Medical Center getting tests: one C.T. scan, 2 MRI's, lots of blood work and eight different doctor appointments.
Despite my occasional whining about my illness, I am very grateful to be alive and intact in 2008. I am always grateful after spending a day in the hospital: to patients I meet who are worse off than me and inspire me with their courage; to UWMC for being a World Class teaching hospital and for having Medical Insurance which makes wellness possible for me.
I am very grateful to the Democratic Party in 2008:
1. for Howard Dean and the amazing 52-state strategy which will yield some big wins in November.
2. for Dennis Kucinich's courageous calls to impeachment.
3. for an intense and vital Primary, peopled by the finest group of candidates ever assembled by our Party in one election cycle.
4. for the campaigns of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Bill Richardson, in particular.
5. for General Wesley Clark's brave truth-telling.
6. for PartyBuilder and the good Democratic bloggers here who have taught me so very much in the past 11 months, courtesy of the DNC for sponsoring the blog.
I am also grateful to live in the beautiful Northwest and in a fantastic, livable city: Seattle, my adopted hometown.
I am grateful for the science and research that takes place in the USA, particularly the space exploration projects sponsored by NASA.
I am especially grateful to friends and family who have provided me with unconditional support during the difficult past two weeks, particularly to my partner, Joey Visco.
High Summer is an especially inspiring time to make amends, to forgive and to reconcile. There is nothing like a day at the lake or the beach to put on into a positive mind-set that makes these tasks possible. This summer, I am in the process of reconciling with one of my sisters, with whom I hadn't spoken in 18 years.
Today, I forgive the religion of my upbringing for real and imagined pain.
Today, I forgive the PB'rs who dropped me from friends lists when I announced my support for Obama. One day we will be friends again.
Today, I forgive my father with the knowledge that he did the best he could do with the given circumstances of his life.
So, what are you grateful for today? Whom do you forgive?
The exception being my father. My father was great--nothing to forgive there. In fact if more men in the government were like the men in my life--father, grandfathers, brother, husband and most of the men with whom I've worked, our world would be a much nicer place.
Best wishes to you Jacob and thanks for sharing.
Loved hearing about all the positive men in your life, Liz. Thanks for commenting.
Thank you for being a friend, and thank you for reminding me to stop and open my eyes.
As someone who also is living with a chronic illness, I can relate...to your fears and frustrations, but also to the enlightening process of discovering what is truly important day to day and to enjoy the moments of sunshine in our lives.
I am so very grateful to ALL of my family... blood, adopted and friends. Everyone here raises my hopes that the apathy virus which has struck many Americans can be fought and won. I salute all my fire-breathing liberal friends.
Peace and hugs.
It is that change that must be experienced as a result of a loss or a fear when our hearts are open to empathy.
Empathy is the quality I most admire in others that makes one capable of Gratitude and Forgiveness.
I am grateful for the these experiences!
Thank you for writing such a great post!
Jill 4 Obama
I am always thankful for a new day which my mother and father taught me to be, as I am thankful for them and the rest of my family and friends.
Personally for me this are the things that matter most above all else.
When I wake up and start a new day I forgive yesterday and the people that surrounded it including myself. Sometimes I don't forget, but I always forgive.
I'm asking you to believe. Not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington...I'm asking you to believe in yours.-Barack Obama
I feel like I should forgive FOS for the way I acted towards her. Though I had every right to be cynical and realistic, I had no reason to be harsh.
My husband and I are now focusing in on South Carolina as our final destination. We are quasi-retirees with just enough to find a cost-effective place to live and grandchildren that we want to be near. Our kids live in Forida, so South Carolina seems like a good compromise. I am sorry for your health issue but UDub is a good place for good care. I wish you the best. ;
I am sorry for my lack of identity, but I am trying my best to avoid a blog bully who has focused in on me. As a 54-year-old-grandmother it seems really strange to have to go incognito. But some people here hate me, go figure. Love Linda.
I'm sorry someone is dogging you on the site. It happens. There are trolls everywhere nowadays, I'm afraid.
Thanks for bringing to mind the beautiful state of South Carolina.