Thankful Thursday: books

Hello there all,

I've always had a love for books. It all started when I was young, and I wanted to read the The Little Mouse, The Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry bear (Longest Children's book title...ever) a million times. Growing up, reading was a love that pervaded until I reached middle school. My love for reading subsided, and reading started to become a chore instead of a hobby. Reading started to become something that was necessary for classes, and  I enjoyed many of the books that I read for class. However, it seemed a nuisance at times to HAVE to complete the task. All of the fun of reading was taken from me, and I mainly just indulged in assigned reading for classes.

This feeling continued throughout high school and most of college until I took a class in college that was focused on teaching literacy in the college classroom. As a part of the class, we read the book The Misfits which literally changed my life. Don't get me wrong: this book is not the best piece of literature ever (however, it is good). The part that changed my life is the exposure to literature that I enjoyed that wasn't the typical scholarly assignment, and it went crazy when I read Stargirl. At this moment, I really started to realize that I didn't have to just read the classics or things weighted with themes and symbols (however, I do enjoy reading books with that). Afterwards, I wanted to read everything in sight, and the love for reading came back again. There was enjoyment and happiness associated with devouring stories.

Previously, I felt that the literature that I consumed had to be "heavy" literature, and this is not the case. Admittedly, I hate confessng this because I think that it sounds like I don't enjoy stories with some literary value which I find highly untrue. Just within the last year, I have read things like The Reader, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, Hedda Gabler (to name a few), but I also enjoyed things like the Flight, the Eragon series, or David Sedaris' essays.

Over the last couple of years, I have enjoyed reading again, and yes, I haven't read as much as I would like, but I DO read a lot more than I did. This past year in particular, I have read A LOT. With two hours commute everyday on public transportation, a book can be a girl's best friend. It is a wonderful way to spend the time and to escape the loud crying children on the bus.

Books are these powerful tools that bring so much joy in my life. They allow me insights on others ideas, stories, and they allow me to travel to a whole other place. It is a lot cheaper than a plane ticket!

For 2015, I made a goal to read 12 books this year, and I just finished my 4th book. I think that I might get to the goal ;). I am so thankful that I have found my way back to appreciating a good book, and I have the opportunity to sit and read them.

What is your relationship with reading? Are you a reader? Why/why not? Any book recommendations?

Happy reading,
Autumn

Thankful Thursday: Patience

Hello there all,

This week has really been a real gift for me at work. It has really showed me why I love working with those that have dementia. It is an incredibly rewarding experience, and I am so thankful for the skills that my job has given me.  The amount of patience that I exercise daily is trying and rewarding.  It is not always there as much as I want it to be, but I am thankful that I have it to enable a loving/understanding environment for my residents. By enabling myself to not fret and worry,  I am able to see my residents for the wonderful people they are.  Also,  I am so fascinated at seeing how they complete tasks that others view as usual everyday tasks. You can watch their brains strain to complete these tasks, and you see them tackle the obstacles in new ways.  The brain is a fascinating thing!

I am grateful for my patience to allow me to work with these hilarious and ridiculously caring individuals. It allows me the privilege to be a part of their life, and I am able to see the world in so many different lenses. These people have truly changed my life.

-Autumn

Thankful Thursday: Washing Machine

Hello there all,

A couple of weeks ago, our washing machine decided that it didn't need to work anymore. Well, it decided that it didn't need to drain, leaving the most disgusting stench in our little laundry area. We had been without a working washing machine for far too long.

Over the past couple of weekends, we have braved laundromats and we even washed our clothes in the bathtub (with a large stainless steel paddle). It was all very Little House on Prairie-ish in all of its ghetto-ness. BUT today, we finally got the dang machine fixed, and I have never been so excited to do laundry! How wonderful to be able to do laundry in the comfort of my own home. It is the little things in life that we neglect to appreciate.

This is to you Washing Machine because I have neglected to see how freaking awesome you are, and I also am so happy that you get to do all the work while I contemplate the mysteries of the universe. Thanks Washing Machine, you are pretty awesome. Let's keep being friends, deal?

This little guy (the Mister drew him) stands guard in our laundry room. He has seen better days with all of the water wear, but the imperfections are what make him...him.

What are you thankful for today?

-Autumn

Appreciation Station

Hello there all,

With the current inclement season of stuffing your face and Facebook statuses listing things one is thankful, I can't help but think about appreciation and thankfulness. Truth be told: I think appreciation is one of the most important things that we human beings understand and spread. Through our appreciation of each other, we are able to celebrate and understand each other better. Additionally, by acknowledging and appreciating what we have in life, we are able to realize the bountiful life that we live.

It can be incredibly difficult to practice appreciation during certain times. For example, if you are locked out of your house and have to wait outside in the rain, it is hard to appreciate that situation. However, Appreciation Station: you have a house to be locked out of. It is all about perspective and at times optimism, but I think that these things grow from appreciation.

At work recently, I was asked to go through and review my 5 core values. Now, I had a lengthy list to gander at, but I kept coming back to appreciation, and appreciation became my top value overall. I know that we aren't going to disagree that appreciation is important. I know this, but I think we often forget how important it is to say what we are thankful for. November shouldn't be the only month that we practice appreciation. It should be an element to our very being that we don't even think about it. Looking at the world with the spirit of appreciation is such a tranformative experience because it allows you to see how great things really are in your life. We can't just sit around and discuss how important it is. We need to actively act.

Today, when you are going for a walk or a drive, list as many things that you are thankful for that you can think of. Do not stop until you can no longer think of things that you are thankful for. If you feel inspired, ask others or tell others your appreciation for them. You know why? They will appreciate hearing that you appreciate them. You will be surprised at how this simple act of listing what you are thankful for is. You WILL look at the world with a different lens. If you feel like going crazy, try doing this more than today and carry it with you. It can be your new commute tradition.

Let's take care of ourselves and appreciate the little things and recognize the big ones,
Autumn