Today I am grateful for the beautiful team I work in!
I have a job that is absolutely beautiful ( I work as a grief counsellor in Palliative Care) but some days it is hard. And today was particularly hard.
My colleagues are so supportive – a kind word, a gentle smile, a supportive hug or just companionable silence can change my day.
We have a wonderful bowl of chocolates that magically stays full. Whenever it gets empty one of the team fills it again – no prompting just magical.
Yesterday I got to work and the pastoral care team had left us a little gift of rainbow cookies with a special note.
And today I exercised early and realized when I was getting dressed I had left my stockings at home. I called one of the girls and thankfully I don’t have to bare legged today.
Today I am grateful for books. It has been so long since I immersed myself totally in a book. This weekend I have had time to stop and read. I have not interspersed this with mindless scrolling through social media. I have truly loved just reading a beautiful story.
I have loved reading:
When Things Are Alive They Hum
It is all about love, sisterly connection, grief, our inability to make good decisions because of love and death. These things are so close to my heart.
These things drive my life and my work.
Love, connection, families, decisions based on love not sense, and ultimately death.
I have loved that sense of understanding when you truly suspend reality and dive into the story.
My whole life I have had an appreciation of how quickly life can change. My Dad is a vascular surgeon and as a child I would listen to his stories about catastrophic medical events that people had. I nursed and was very aware that life could change in a minute. I then became a mother and became aware that having a child is an absolute miracle and many things can go wrong during childbirth and then raising children. I have myself had a life changing event – I don’t know why I lived after my bicycle accident. I had wonderful medical care which saved my life but I do not understand why I didn’t bleed to death in the time between having the accident and getting to the hospital. It is a miracle. Now I am working in Palliative Care and I observe people at the end of their life.
Because I have observed life and death so much over the course of my life I have a deep appreciation of being alive.
I wish I could teach people about the preciousness of life and living in the present.
To wake up each morning is such a gift.
I still sweat the small stuff. I know that. I know I get crazy stupid about having the house tidy, and having everything just so. Especially when we have visitors.
But …….
I am so grateful to breathe.
I am so grateful for love.
I am so grateful to be able to move.
I am so grateful for good food.
I am so grateful for a roof over my head.
My wish for you today is to stop, breathe and be grateful that you are alive.
Today I am grateful for my friend Kylie. Every Saturday I walk with my girlfriend Kylie. Apart from walking up big hills we chat. We have become much stronger walkers over the last few years because we can keep talking going up most hills now which we both laugh about when we reach the top of the hill. Kylie is the most generous listener. We both use our Saturday walk to debrief about our week. It constantly amazes me when I have a sudden realization about what to do about a problem that I have been worrying about, simply because Kylie listens. I am always so grateful for her kindness in giving me the time to talk.
Not only am I grateful for her kindness in listening but Kylie works for an organisation called Five Good Friends . The way she speaks about her clients makes me feel so grateful for the care and kindness she shows to those people. I know that her clients have a better life because of the kindness Kylie shows her clients when she is visiting them.
Today I am grateful for a lovely doctor called Matthew who I work with. Matthew is a special doctor who gives so much time to his patients. His notes always reflect the care and attention he gives his patients. This week his notes included an acknowledgment of the time I spent with a patient and how valuable she found my visit. His kindness in including that observation in his notes made my day.
Today I am grateful for the beautiful ward secretary Alicia from the ward that I work in. Last week she said to me that I am perfect for my job. It was a day that I was feeling very unsure of my role and I was wondering if I was doing the right job for me. Her words and kindness changed my day and again I felt so valued.
It is not only people close to you who can make a difference by being kind.
Today I am grateful for Michelle Obama. Michelle posted this week on social media about the transition for her and President Obama to the Trump presidency. It was hard for her four years ago but she and President Obama showed kindness and decency to President Trump and Melania.
Kindness is such a simple concept. It costs nothing but it can change a day or in some cases it can change a life.
Our lives are filled with conflict and difficulties but a kind word or deed are so precious.
It is not possible to agree with everyone that we come in contact with but even in the midst of strong debate and disagreement it is possible to be kind.
Today I did a yoga and meditation retreat for 3 hours. It was wonderful.
I am grateful it was silent. That is three hours without talking. I also disconnected from my phone, iPad and computer.
I am grateful I spent time reflecting about my year, quietening my mind and thinking about my intention for the coming year.
I am grateful for the gentle movement and stretching.
Today I am grateful for Mr Pincott – he was today’s teacher and he is a teacher from the school I went to many years ago. He is a wonderful , calm person who is very generous with his time, knowledge and wisdom.
I am unable to travel at the moment like the rest of Australia so I am determined to explore our city of Brisbane.
I have had two staycations now – one in New Farm at the Carlyle and one at The W Hotel in the city.
Wow! Not only am I so grateful to have such a beautiful city to explore but these hotels are lovely and both have a very relaxed Queensland feel about them.
I am grateful to have such amazing restaurants to eat at. We had dinner at the Three Blue Ducks . What a great meal and I love their philosophy!
The Ducks is a great story of food, born in the surf! It all started with three good mates travelling the world, cultivating ideas around a better, more sustainable approach to living. Somewhere there, in a shared belief in good ethical food – Three Blue Ducks was hatched.
From their website
I am grateful that I had such a beautiful view of the river.
I am grateful to explore some of our gorgeous Brisbane laneways. We had a coffee and cake in Burnett Lane at Felix . The coffee was fantastic and the cake divine.
Photograph taken from Felix Instagram Feed
I am grateful for all the artwork around Brisbane.
One of the wonderful things about spending time away from home is the reminder about how much I love our home. It was such a pleasure to drive up our driveway and see all our beautiful azaleas.
Today I am grateful for the eggplants in my veggie garden. I love having a veggie garden and I get so excited when I use fresh produce in my cooking.
Today I am grateful that my daughter got home from the party she went to last night. I get so nervous when my kids are out at parties now they are all older than 18. One of the bonuses of lockdown was that they were home every night and not going to parties or clubs. I slept very well in lockdown because I wasn’t worried about where they were.
What truly goes on in my head when my children are out and don’t come home when I expect.
Today I am grateful for Sunday’s. Sundays for me have always a day of rest. I day where I read books, watch movies, and take some time out. I think in our busy lives it is so important to have a day to do this. I am lucky that I can.
Today I am grateful for linen sheets. I love cotton sheets but a few years ago I started using linen sheets. I love the feel of the linen and I love how the bed looks even when it is not made.
Today I am grateful for living in a country where I can vote. I voted yesterday in our state election and even though I had trouble choosing the candidate I was going to vote for I am so grateful to be in a country that is democratic and where I have the right to choose the leaders and candidates I want.
I wish you a quiet Sunday filled with nice coffee, wrinkled beds and rest.
Today is the day I start blogging again. I love taking a little time each day to reflect about what I am grateful about. I have got out of the habit over the last 12 months. Today I am recommitting to take some time out daily to contemplate what I am grateful about. I commit to putting it in writing once a week.
I don’t know about you but I am tired of reading the news. My system is overloaded with bad news and I need to feel and read a little good news.
So my commitment is to add a little good news to the universe once a week.
So
Today I am grateful for my new job. I have been working part time now for nearly three months in Palliative Care. I absolutely love my work. I feel so honoured to walk with people at the most difficult time of their lives and I hope I can make this time a little easier.
Today I am grateful that we have had some beautiful rain at our place. Our garden has been looking so dry but the rain has been very soaking and it is already looking greener.
Today I am grateful for my bicycle. I have not been doing a lot of riding out on the road at present because it is just a layer of anxiety that I haven’t needed. I am riding on a stationary trainer on my balcony. I watch the sun come up as I am riding, I listen to the birds and the other day I think a bandicoot ran across in front of me!
My riding view
Today I am grateful for coffee. I love starting my day with a coffee. It is a ritual that gives me so much joy.
Today I am grateful for lovely clothes. I love choosing what I am going to wear each day. It makes me feel good and sets the tone for the day.
Today I am grateful to be able to celebrate Anzac Day from my driveway even though I couldn’t go to a service.
Today I am grateful that David and I and the kids got up at 530am and walked down to the end of our driveway and listened to a Dawn Service broadcast by the RSL Queensland.
Today I am grateful that my daughter made Anzac slice.
Today I am grateful that my Mum and Dad were able to do the same at their home. My Dad played the Last Post on his harmonica and Mum wore all my Grandpas medals during their service.
Today I am grateful that Mum and Dad and I were able to share this information via Zoom this morning.
Today I am grateful that my Facebook feed is flooded with images of other families doing the same.
Today I am grateful to reminisce about my Grandpa who served in the Second World War as a Coast Guard Watcher.
George Henley 304 Radar Station
Today I am glad that during this strange time of social distancing that I feel so connected to other people and that many of us have shared a similar experience during the day.
Today I am grateful to all the serviceman past and present who have fought to preserve our special way of life here in Australia.
Today I am grateful to all those people who are waging war against the COVID 19 virus and working towards keeping humanity safe.
