Success & Gratitude

If you wish to succeed in life, make perseverance your bosom friend, experience your wise counselor, caution your elder brother, and hope your guardian genius.

~ Joseph Addison

Sometimes I view success in life as just having strength to get through the days.  

Don't you?

Then there are other times, when, success in life means some great achievements you've been working toward.

I've been fighting illness for some time with the coming change of weather. It wouldn't be so bad but for the fact I've been having great difficulty sleeping, I'm working long hours on multiple projects, doing a lot of reading, keeping up with the day to day household needs and missions.  Last but not least, I've got a lot to do concerning looking after my mother's urgent care needs. 

I just started to feel good about things and then something happens to take the wind out of my sails and cause me stress.

Soon things have to change but I keep putting one foot in front of the other in the meantime and ask God to help me because the hill often seems too hard to climb.

Mombasa sunset.

It is also at times like this that it is important to take time to reflect and consider the blessings in our lives despite the difficult patches, trials and challenges.

Very soon it will be Thanksgiving here in Canada.

I have much to be thankful for and I am very grateful for all the many blessings which I do have.

A new friend asked me what I was doing for Thanksgiving.

He was having a last dinner with his aunt who is transitioning to a life of retirement and soon for him a lot of what he has come to know and rely on as his annual holiday rituals will change. He is missing it before it has disappeared.

Life often brings changes for us. While we have certain people in our lives that we love to spend time with, it is important to appreciate them and let them know how much we love them.

I am having a dinner this Thanksgiving with a small group of loved ones.  Amongst other things I have to do this week (like crocheting, sewing, working on a community project, sending Christmas cards to my sponsored kids, following up on care needs of my mom and touching bases with friends), I will be getting things organized for the dinner.

What about you dear reader?

Do you have Thanksgiving plans?
What ever you do, I hope you enjoy and appreciate those you spend time with.

"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things 

which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has."

 ~ Epictetus