Tag: Thank you

10 Ways to Say Thank You

It’s been another year. Another crazy, topsy-turvy year. And for some of us (at least in America), Thanksgiving Day will be hard, fraught with difficult emotions. I’ve found it helpful to look for my gratitude during those times. But it isn’t easy to find something to be thankful for when you’re grieving, or angry, or hurting. Here are some quotes, ten ways to say thank you when it’s difficult. If you’re finding gratitude difficult, chose one or all ten of these and make them a mantra. It is the path to joy. If not joy, it at least will give you some peace.

Image of a lit candle in a short glass jar with a black ribbon around the neck of the jar and the words thank you written in script on the jar.

At times, our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.

Albert Schweitzer

10 Ways to Say Thank You

If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.

Meister Eckhart

I’d like to say to all my fans out there, thanks for the support. And to all my doubters, thank you very much because you guys have also pushed me.

Usain Bolt

Thank you to our farmers for all you do to keep food on our tables.

Elise Stefanik

Thank you for accepting me as I am, with my virtues and defects.

Jenni Rivera

This a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before.

Maya Angelou

Every life is a story, thank you for being part of my story.

Unknown

I feel a very unusual sensation – if it is not indigestion, I think it must be gratitude.

Benjamin Disraeli

When eating a fruit, think of the person who planted the tree.

Vietnamese Proverb

I couldn’t find a card that expressed my gratitude the way I wanted. I need a card that gives you a big hug.

Unknown

For all that has been – thanks. For all that shall be – yes.

Dag Hammarskjöld

At some point in life the world’s beauty becomes enough. You don’t need to photograph, paint, or even remember it. It is enough.

Toni Morrison

My Gratitude

My year has been an emotional roller coaster. It took a little bit of thinking to find a writerly bit of gratitude for the Writers in the Storm blog, The 2021 WITS Team Gives Writerly Thanks. 

But taking the moment to think about what I have revealed many things for which I can honestly give thanks. I am eternally grateful for 

Nearly twenty-eight years with the love of my life. 

The friends who stood by me on days when I could barely acknowledge them.

The readers who have waited patiently for my irregular blog posts and for the next novel.

For the amazing personal and professional opportunities that have presented themselves to me in the past few months.

And for the people who rekindled that spark of gratitude in me.

Thank you.

Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action.

W. J. Cameron

My Hope

Whether or not you celebrate an American Thanksgiving, I hope your day is a day of peace. A day when you can find at least one small thing for which you can say thank  you.

They say time is a great healer. No, it’s not. Time simply passes. We have to heal ourselves. There are millions of ways to heal from your grief, anger, or hurt (whatever it is). You can do it. You may need a mental health first aid kit or a joy toolbox. You may need something else. Please, take this day to breathe. To find gratitude for the things you have, even if it is very little. To thank yourself for surviving to this day even if you sometimes wish you hadn’t. To find a gratitude mantra for the days that are so hard you don’t think you’ll make it. These 10 ways to say thank you are only a start. You can do it. I believe in you.

Image Credits

Top: Photo by Daniel Andrade on Unsplash, Middle: Photo by wal_172619 on Pixabay, Bottom: Photo by Priscilla Du Preez on Unsplash

Thank You, Dear Readers

In the United States, yesterday was Thanksgiving Day. A day of feasting and football and parades and giving thanks. And after a week of cleaning and cooking, it is a day when I collapse into an exhausted heap. But I had to rouse myself enough to say thank you. 

Image of a black long-eared dog hoding a card that reads, Thank You

I’m grateful to you, my readers, for your support. A write works alone at her craft for hours and hours. It’s a solitude that I (as an introverted introvert) enjoy. But, I write my stories for people to read so your comments, your likes, your stars, and your reviews mean a lot to me, to writers like me. And I act a little like this…

Okay, some days I act a lot like that. But honestly, I value every one of you and every response you make. Thank you.

Lest you think I’m only grateful for writerly things, here are a few posts from the past: 

And here are some of my favorite “gratitude” lines from books I’ve read.

Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.

—Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

“I am happy. I am very happy. This morning when I woke up, I felt good because the sun was shining. I felt good because I was a frog. And I felt good because I have you as a friend. I wanted to be alone. I wanted to think about how fine everything is.”

—Days with Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel

If I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look further than my own backyard. Because if it isn’t there, I never really lost it to begin with.

—The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum

And the final quote, that says it all:

“You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing.” 

—Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White

Thank you.

Top Ten Posts of 2012

As we say goodbye to 2013, I’m saying a big thank you to all of you who’ve followed my blog, commented, tweeted, shared and linked to my posts. You made these my top ten blog posts for 2012:
1. Breaking Out of Numb
2. And the Answer is: Happy Rodents and a Lucky Snippet
3. Warning! 10 Signs You’ve Pushed Too Hard
4. A Void in My Heart
5. The Road To Success
6. Be A Child
7. Speak Up Readers, What Do You Think?8. Are You Saying No to Success?9. Glorious Mistakes or Wave of the Future?10. Monday Mash-up: From Sopa to Nuts

my top ten posts for the year

If you were expecting the next Going to Mars Word by Word blog post, I apologize. Due to the holidays, the next post in the Going to Mars Word by Word series has been postponed. Check out our next stop: The Sands of Mars by Sir Arthur C. Clarke next Monday, January 7th.

I know that your time is precious and I deeply appreciate that you’ve spent time with me during this past year. Thank you. Without you, there would be no top ten posts here. Best wishes to you and yours for a safe and Happy 2013!

Remembering: Veterans History Project

Veterans Tribute picture by DVIDSHUB
by DVIDSHUB, Flickr Creative Commons, www.flickr.com/photos/dvids/6309549518/

It’s Veteran’s Day in the United States. Other countries also honor their veterans. Whether it’s called Veteran’s Day, Armistice Day, or Remembrance Day, we dedicate this day to thanks and remembrances for those who have served in an armed service. Now we also have the Veterans History Project.

In the U.S., we have national and regional observances for Veterans Day. There are banquets, parades, free meal offers, special discounts, and hundreds of charities through which we try to say thank you to our veterans. As a country, we have become more aware and more grateful to the soldiers who have served in the military since September 11, 2001. But we have other veterans, some of them feel forgotten and underappreciated. We can thank them and make certain they are not forgotten. We need to remember all of our veterans.

The Veterans History Project

In October 2000, the U.S. Congress passed legislation to create the Veterans History Project (VHP). It is part of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center. The program collects and preserves the first-hand stories of America’s wartime veterans, primarily oral histories. VHP collects personal narratives, letters, and visual materials from veterans of World War I (1914-1920); World War II (1939-1946); the Korean War (1950-1955); the Vietnam War (1961-1975); the Persian Gulf War (1990-1995), and the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts (2001-present). The Project also accepts the first-hand stories of citizens who actively supported the war (USO workers, flight instructors, medical volunteers, etc.). (Please be aware that there are other websites that use the name Veterans History Project, but are not part of the Library of Congress.)

The VHP collection is available to the public at the Library of Congress. There is no charge. Of the 60,000 collections in the Library of Congress, more than 5,000 are fully digitized. You may access those through the website. If you need a specific collection or specific subject researched, there is an Ask the Librarian feature you can use.

 

Do Your Part

About now you’re asking yourself, how does this help me thank veterans? You can help collect veterans stories for the Project. Record an interview an American veteran one you know, or one you get to know for the purpose of participating in this project. Their experiences are an important part of American history. Recording their stories assures that they won’t be forgotten, that they are honored, remembered, and respected. Go, print off the VHP Field Kit to get the specifics on how to record the interview and submit it to VHP.

Other Nations

Not an American? I was able to find oral history collections available for my Canadian friends, at the Military Oral History collections of the University of Victoria Libraries and for my Australian friends, there is the Through My Eyes collection at the Australians At War website.

US Army soldier on duty
by Mateus_27:24&25
creative commons license
www.flickr.com/photos/mateus27_24-25/3118326650/

Have you thanked a veteran today? Have you asked to hear his or her story? If you have his or her permission, I’d love for you to share with us in the comments below.

Have you heard of the Veterans History Project? Are you a veteran? Thank you so much for your service. Your service and your story are important, to me and to my readers. Will you share a bit of your story here?