Yea Jenna!!!! And Happy Mother's Day!
Mark56

This is a great idea nothing like some positivity when we're feeling down or just finding it hard to cope with day and I must say you have a great way with words, did you work as a writer, journalist or something like this?

Today I am grateful for my wonderful hubby who has been and still is the best support I could ask for; even like today which hasn't been the best for me, he does everything and doesnt complain.
I am all blessed with a wonderful family who likewise checks up on me every day and would do anything for me if they could.

Sophie_

Hi Jenna,
Good to hear the party went off has planned and I'm sure Katie had a ball. I bet you're tired though!

S xxx

I must say, your comment regarding writing is a blessing in itself; hence the recognition here among my blessings for the day. My prior career was as a lawyer, in our country a combination of the solicitor/barrister approach to the law you have, as I have both advised and written, whilst also arguing on behalf of my corporate clients in proceedings.

I feel blessed to be able to write, and thus do much as poetry, one of my blessings follows:

Chrysalis
MRidder 20110214

From darkest place into the light
God’s splendor forth revealed.
Though born at first creature of scorn
its inner blessing sealed.
‘Tis known so well as doth wend its way
and seeming it does die
as second womb it enters in,
God’s secret to enseal;
and time once more doth work so well
in private places dark
a miracle unfolds within
as creature changes form
until at last God’s sculpting done.
Material so raw
reshaped within this second womb
emerges carefully
and gift of miracle unfolds,
the beauty of its wing.
Creature no more, in beauty soars
alight on whiff of breeze
and nectar sups from God’s royal cups
the butterfly takes wing.

I feel blessed to be able to take inspiration and drop it to word or widget, as in the cushion of which Jenna has written.

Blessed today in the communication with all of our children, even our pair who, in North Carolina, await the coming of their baby who will not live, another poem I put together for our little blessing. In this poem, I recognize through pain that we are all blessed nevertheless, as Autumn is taken to heaven straightaway:

Autumn's Song
Grandpa Ridder 20110418

Pools of tears surround us now
we look for answers, asking "how?"
Our God is true, oh THIS we KNOW
and yet we grieve and tears we sow.
We learned today a child would not be
our grandchild, first, she has to leave
before we held her and saw her smile
before her mother and father had child
she came into our family
so much joy to bring, we wanted to see.
But this the child God wraps in his arms
her smile known to Him this child who is charmed
to be immediately with Jesus in heaven's embrace
our Autumn is blessed specially with His grace.
We know there will be pain and sorrow down here
as all of us miss her and the joy of her dear.
One day we will see her in heaven when we
arrive in that place of such joy there to be.

Blessed,
Mark56

1. A fantastic Mother's Day.....probably the best to date! The love I felt from my son and husband was amazing! From the time I woke up to the time I went to sleep....my boys made me feel special, appreciated, and worthwhile.

2. I was able to spend some quality time with an old friend on our annual rummage sale excursion. Did not find the "mother lode" of sales but had a blast reminiscing of old times and making new memories.

3. Not having to do any laundry or cooking yesterday!!

4. I feel blessed that the sun had made an appearance the past few days. The vitamin D that I was able to soak up has made my body and mind much calmer. Unfortunately, it is raining this morning but I am trying to let it cleanse me from any negative thoughts and pain.


Kim

today i am grateful for to one of the department heads of my college she rang me up and offered that i could do the exam at home and she would come all the way here to supervise! now i did refuse as hubby will bring me and he can drop me right outside the door but found it amazing that anyone would offfer this especially in a college the size of the one i am in with thousands of students!!

I have been blessed today:

1. In the mere ability to share in the pain of friends dear to me both here and in the corporeal world.

2. In the knowledge that our son who is affected with mental illness has been making seeming strides of improvement.

3. In my brother's helping hand to retrieve our boat and bring it home for some needed work.

4. In taking time to pray for those who hurt so, like friends here on NT, my Mom as she sees my Dad slipping away one hour at a time to Alzheimers, our children whose child will not make it, a beautiful young lady of special needs in the grocery line with her Mum ahead of Cleo and me sharing smiles and comments with us.

5. In the beauty of the day which dawned a little too early and set before day's needs were met.

6. The love of my dear wife and our children, who urge me on toward the next step seeking success.

Mark

Today I am grateful for this forum! It is a place for me to let things go a place than nobody judges me and a place where i am not made to feel like an inconvenience!!

Today I am grateful to'sophie' who is fast becoming another important person on this forum I did feel better after I sent my 'moaney feeling sorry for myself post' as i cannot tell anyone else how i feel as noone understands like all of you do! I think i am going to talk her suggestion and start keeping a diary and maybe if i write how crap i feel down I wont feel like everything is too much!

I am also grateful that things are going good with the extra child staying with us. she has fit right in and both her and ellie both came into my room dressed this morning having made there beds ( without being asked) so all i had to do is the hair styles ( which i have to say are getting more interesting each day)


Finally i know i say it lots but I am so grateful to have a hubby like i do! what would i do without his support, Tom never judges me and he tells me every night he prays to god that he can take some of my pain so that i do not have to have it on my own! he has never said "why me" about his own situation that he finds himself in being the one who has to nearly do everything round here. He has never said that he would like "out" or a "normal wife" so I guess i have to be grateful and I have to keep pushing and try to find my smile again! if he has not given up on me I guess he must still see some of what he married still alive in me!!

to all of you thank you for listening and ur advice the other day its 8.37am and the sun is getting hotter. Maybe today can be a good day!!

Hi Jenna,
Today you seem to be more at peace with yourself, I sometimes feel all sorts of feelings from anger to self blame, to feeling like i'm leaning on my family too much and especially my wonderful hubby who sounds just like yours, I really couldn't have made it through the last 5years without him and I'm aware that it has probably been tougher on him than me. I went from a young vibrant, full of life, smiling, laughing, possessed by exercising at the gym every day, my weight, counting points to seeing this old, pale faced, depressed 36 year old wife. Thankfully things are looking up for me and you know what it will happen for you too, it's so hard, 6mths ago I seriously thought i'd be in a wheelchair within a year, unable to work and probably even more depressed.
Please just try to get through each day as it comes and try not to stress yourself out over stuff you've no control over, I can appreciate this isn't easy with your girls and being a busy Mum and wife, I don't have any children so I guess I don't know about this stuff but I can only imagine, (my sister has three young kids and back and neck problems too).

My diary is on my computer, password protected and it's great for a moan, i always feel better after writing down what's bugging me.

thinking of you and wishing the best for you

Nite nite hun

Sinéad

I have been blessed:

1. By all of you who participate within this forum, upon these threads, sharing inmost thoughts, needs, cries, joy, aches, laughter, moans, and smiles..... even the occasional bad joke, or one of those "these are the gals moments" which may elicit a from me, nevertheless you are all here and I am blessed.

2. By sharing moments today with my ninety-one [almost 92, just about] friend and his wife, bringing them a blueberry muffin and a cinnamon roll, hence joy because getting out and about anymore is nearly an impossibility for them.

3. By sharing time sitting at hospital bedside with my 86 year old mentor, teacher, and friend holding his hand, letting him know I understand his anger at the situation in which he is bodily trapped, but that the situation itself is the focus of his anger and not his family who are striving so hard to provide loving necessary care for his failing body. THEN to have this man, my mentor, turn tables on me and before we parted admit that I am now his mentor, for through my words meant to gently help him see his family's love and to impart encouragement to him his eyes had been opened. I just pray that he will find it within himself to greet his family members with an open heart next time rather than anger.

4. By placing such huge smiles on one of my doctors and the members of his family, for we have donated our Disney condo to them this year as a means of saying "Thank you, dear friend" for the loving care you have provided to me and my family.

5. By the long long interview yesterday in which I was told I can find a new home in which to work practicing my profession and enabling the ethical, honorable, and just growth of a fledgling enterprise which very much desires what I can bring to the table in times to come. I look forward to being able to begin with them once closure has been achieved in a couple of open matters.

6. By my wife of almost, just about, 38 years, who has stood by my side or my bedside throughout times of good, times of bad, times of health, years of pain and anguish as we sought to restore health, times of wealth, times of wondering would we lose every possession we had owned, ever encouraging as with Jenna's husband. She has been my rock and joy in these past six years along with my faith. When I gaze into her eyes, I see Jesus.

Mark56