July 22 – U

363/365 – people to thank who have had an impact on me.  Wow, only 3 more gratitude posts left including this one!!  When I started this journey a year ago, I was a little nervous as to if I would have 365 people to thank.  I didn’t want it to come down to posts such as thanking my mailman for the flyers he delivers in that they were the ones that led me on to some awesome deal!! ; )  Early on in these posts, I started hearing from friends that so and so had made “the list”.  I didn’t understand what that was until I was told that it was my “gratitude list”.  That put some pressure on me to say the least as there was now a “list”.  I didn’t want it to be a list and I didn’t want it to be some type of contest.  Then I heard that some people mentioned they were in the 80s and others were in the 200s!  I do have to make it clear that I haven’t had an order as to who I thank and thus whatever number gratitude post it was has no relation to ranking.  Most posts are the night before or a couple of days before.  Yes, I saved my dad for his birthday as I did with my children for theirs, my mom was first because well she is my mom but save for them and the final two gratitude posts, no one had a day or a number.  The list by the end of Sunday is far from complete.  I could thank another 365 people who got me to where I am today and this is what today’s gratitude post is about – to all of the people I didn’t name and there are hundreds of you that have impacted me!  So many former students, co-workers past and present, family members, inlaws, bosses, professors, fellow students, random strangers, neighbours past and present, friends, backhanded gratitudees (bullies and the like), service providers, celebrities etc, etc – just so many people who have made me who I am and to all of you un-named in this past year, you are part of this gratitude journey just because you were not personally mentioned here doesn’t mean you weren’t recognized by me.  To all the new people that will come in to my life, thanking you in advance as some of you will change and influence me in new ways.  Thank you to all of you who came along with me on this 365 day journey as well.  Your encouragement and support has gotten me to this end point.

November 29 (late) – nurse me to health

128/365 – people to thank who have had an impact on me. So I get this big story on Vancity Buzz about my Gratitude Blog and then I go MIA. Before I explain, let me say that I am going to live up to 365 posts but I will be catching up in the next few days and writing two a day because of the delay and what was the delay? I was hospitalized with 4 broken ribs and a punctured and subsequent collapsed lung. I am back home after 4 days and on the mend. In addition to missing family, teaching and living life, I did long to get back to writing after almost a week away but I’m back. Although not someone who had an impact on me until this past week, I must absolutely thank the wonderful nurses at Richmond General Hospital. I had almost a dozen different nurses take care of me over my four days in the hospital and with perhaps the exception of one, each and every one of them went out of their way to ensure that I was comfortable even though 2 of my 4 days was waiting around in Emergency until they found me a bed. Complications arose and I slipped in and out of a medically induced haze but the nurses reassured me that I would be better bringing me liquids and medication like clockwork (okay, I guess it is clockwork since they have a chart for me but I rarely had to ask).   I was in awe at how hard they worked and were running around from patient to patient and not just going through the routine but had general empathy and cared for the well being of their patients. Yes, there are hundreds and hundreds of people behind the scenes in making a hospital run and yes, it is a job but those nurses on the front line made me feel that I mattered even if it was a simple smile or going out of their way and getting me something to eat when I got lost in the shuffle, it made the physically and mentally painful stay just that much less so. Thank you nurses of BC, I refuse my next blood test in your honour 😉

November 25 – write or wrong

124/365 – people to thank who have had an impact on me. I’ll admit it – I like being the center of attention but when it’s on my own terms and I’m in control of it. Yes, it may be viewed by some as vanity but given my childhood where I only wished not to be noticed because of my awkwardness, my ugly duckling looks, my ethnicity, my adhd – I thrive on any positive attention as an adult (oh Freud, how you would have loved to have me as a case study – all unconscious motivations and desires coming out in me). However, last night and today’s attention all because of a post on the internet threw me for a loop. I had no control over what transpired. I have Megan to thank for that. She, a former student of mine from Burnett and a writer for Vancity Buzz, has been a Facebook friend for years and we have exchanged notes on musical artists that we have a fondness for and other niceties over the years. She messaged me a few months back about how she was moved by my gratitude posts and wanted to write a story and would I be willing to share the blog to a larger audience. I wasn’t sure how to respond. I had since realized that people were being affected positively by my gratitude posts but to put this out there to a larger audience – very daunting. She told me that her editor thought this would also be a good idea and I threw caution to the wind and said yes. We met, I was interviewed and as of this writing, 1700 shares on that article – I am humbled and it’s all because of Megan being moved by the gratitude blog and wanting to bring it to the masses. I can’t even begin to thank you for what you have done for me. Tonight’s post is all about you Megan for opening up my heart to more than those on my personal Facebook. I owe this mass love and positivity in return all to you! Thank you Megan!

November 24 – i went public

123/365 – people to thank who have had an impact on me. Wow! Just wow! VancityBuzz.com featured story on my Gratitude Blog journey went live just a few hours ago and the outpouring of love and positivity on my Facebook feed is incredible as well as the comments on the article itself – got a bit emotional there and had to step back and reflect. I knew I was doing something important for myself – a catharsis of sorts at the same time as honouring people but what it has turned into is so much more. Gratitude is so important and it’s so simple to do and the effects are amazing – yes, personally, I have become a calmer, happier person because of this – I liken it to yoga for the heart – so very uplifting, freeing and energizing. But the attention my Gratitude challenge has gotten was not expected as well as the love and positive vibes and hearing from students past and present as well as friends and family tonight and strangers taking time out to comment – my spirit is soaring. Thank you, thank you all who have read the article, read one blog entry or more, made a comment on my Facebook, wrote on the article itself or just the act of hitting like – I am honoured, humbled and deeply moved tonight. You don’t know what you have done for me but I thank you from the bottom of my heart! In your honour, I will continue writing my Gratitude posts!