Grateful for surviving over 40 years with HIV, and the many allies who made that possible. On hard days, when I feel like I’m drowning, my motto is: Keep swimming towards the light. ❤️
Wow! I am so thankful you've had the resources and allies that have helped you survive, especially given how stigmatizing was and continues to be. As someone who's also struggled with a complicated chronic illness, my heart connects to your as we both continue swimming toward the light.
I'm thankful for everyone--close friend, long-lost friend, new friend, and complete stranger--that has shown up to support my debut book, Hurricane Baby. I have always felt like an outsider in writing circles, but my launch, my publicity, my sales, and my reviews show that was never true. What a blessing!
I love hearing about how you and your book are being supported during your launch year. What a gift to have a great launch team in your life and for it to serve as such a powerful corrective emotional experience around belonging and the lies we tell ourselves.
I'm grateful for a doctor's visit yesterday that didn't end in tears or dismissal, but in surprising hope, and for the insight to know when to slow down and take care of myself before rushing into anything.
I'm so grateful that your doctor showed you the care and attention you deserve, dear sweet Katie. Hope is a thing that flutters, as Emily Dickinson says. Those of us with chronic illness thrive on those flutters of hope in what can often feel like a deep dark sea of symptoms.
Grateful that I have the attentive oversight of my autoimmune health issues by doctors who care. Grateful I have a friend in my husband. Grateful that though he has neurological damage from having his spinal cord nicked in surgery, he keeps playing golf in a cart and with a cane, exercises daily to stay upright in the world, and still helps around the house (inside and out) when he can. Grateful that we like each other enough that there is no one I'd rather grow old with.
My heart feels so abundant as I read your list. I'm so. happy to see the bounty in your life, Rhonda. What a gift. I'm grateful for all the messages you've sent me about newsletters that spoke to you. Wishing you and your hubby joy and ease on this holiday!
Incredibly thankful for a beloved friend of mine moving toward forgiveness towards me for an impulsive, unplanned act of public shaming. Also thankful that I am heading toward self-forgiveness at the same time.
I'm so glad to hear that forgiveness is at work in your relationships. Thank you for your support over the years, Stephanie and for the kinship we share as survivors.
I am deeply grateful for the ability to both give and receive love, allowing me to connect meaningfully with others and experience the beauty that surrounds me.
I'm grateful for all the people in my life, including you, Lisa! I have learned so much from your podcast and really appreciate reading your newsletters. Thank you for always sharing with us!
I love that you point out the difficulties in being grateful when you’re not. When my mom was first diagnosed with dementia, everyone told me to be grateful I still had her. But all I could see is what I lost. Now, I feel gratitude every time I see or talk to her and it just oozes out of me. It’s impossible to be negative or unhappy when you have a grateful heart.
Thanks for acknowledging this and for sharing your story, Michele, especially since you are also a font of knowledge when it comes to these things. I actually believe that giving ourselves permission to feel ungrateful is one of the things that opens us to gratitude. But we rarely allow ourselves that kind of grace. I'm so glad you did and I'm glad you feel so grateful for the precious time you have with your mother. And still, dementia is HARD. Sending you love, my friend.
I love that you point out the "both/and" of gratitude - it can be tinged with other emotions, too, like grief. My gratitude is tinged with fear this year, but I'm choosing to trust in goodness and submitting to fate (amor fati). Thank you again for having us on the podcast - we loved chatting with you!
Thanks for reading this, Ariel! I'm a huge fan of your Substack, Notes from the Editor. It's so spot on! Yeah, my gratitude is equally laced with other feelings. Holding space for all of it is what helps us embrace our humanity and everyone else's.
Just today I was "introduced" to Patricia Noonan (author of A Certain Idea of America) and Martha Wells (author of Murderbot) through different emails. I get so excited to learn about new writers and to read their thoughts.
Wow! Those sound like great books. Thanks for sharing them with all of us and for the enthusiasm you bring to your writing and the authors you support.
I'm grateful for the retired university art professor I help twice a week, acting like her personal assistant. She is a tough old New Englander in the very best sense of the word and has had an extraordinary life. I could listen to her for hours, and believe I get at least as much from those 4 or 5 hours a week as she does. I'm also grateful for my friend Pete, who, though he annoys me terrifically sometimes, turned out to be a dynamite first reader. Oh yeah, and I'm grateful for you, Lisa. For that webinar in October, for your blog, and for the community you work to create. And that's enough to be going on with, I think. Happy Turkey.
Thank you so much for sharing your abundance with all of us, Michal! It sounds like you and the retired art professor are lucky to have each other in your lives. That's fantastic news. Also, thank you for adding me to your gratitude list. I'm deeply honored.
Grateful for surviving over 40 years with HIV, and the many allies who made that possible. On hard days, when I feel like I’m drowning, my motto is: Keep swimming towards the light. ❤️
Wow! I am so thankful you've had the resources and allies that have helped you survive, especially given how stigmatizing was and continues to be. As someone who's also struggled with a complicated chronic illness, my heart connects to your as we both continue swimming toward the light.
Can I love this response a million times? ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I'm thankful for everyone--close friend, long-lost friend, new friend, and complete stranger--that has shown up to support my debut book, Hurricane Baby. I have always felt like an outsider in writing circles, but my launch, my publicity, my sales, and my reviews show that was never true. What a blessing!
I love hearing about how you and your book are being supported during your launch year. What a gift to have a great launch team in your life and for it to serve as such a powerful corrective emotional experience around belonging and the lies we tell ourselves.
I'm grateful for a doctor's visit yesterday that didn't end in tears or dismissal, but in surprising hope, and for the insight to know when to slow down and take care of myself before rushing into anything.
I'm so grateful that your doctor showed you the care and attention you deserve, dear sweet Katie. Hope is a thing that flutters, as Emily Dickinson says. Those of us with chronic illness thrive on those flutters of hope in what can often feel like a deep dark sea of symptoms.
My favorite poem of all time, Lisa! I couldn't agree more.
Grateful that I have the attentive oversight of my autoimmune health issues by doctors who care. Grateful I have a friend in my husband. Grateful that though he has neurological damage from having his spinal cord nicked in surgery, he keeps playing golf in a cart and with a cane, exercises daily to stay upright in the world, and still helps around the house (inside and out) when he can. Grateful that we like each other enough that there is no one I'd rather grow old with.
My heart feels so abundant as I read your list. I'm so. happy to see the bounty in your life, Rhonda. What a gift. I'm grateful for all the messages you've sent me about newsletters that spoke to you. Wishing you and your hubby joy and ease on this holiday!
Incredibly thankful for a beloved friend of mine moving toward forgiveness towards me for an impulsive, unplanned act of public shaming. Also thankful that I am heading toward self-forgiveness at the same time.
I'm so glad to hear that forgiveness is at work in your relationships. Thank you for your support over the years, Stephanie and for the kinship we share as survivors.
Oh Lisa, you are always so wise!
Thank you so much, Sandra. That means a lot to me. What are you grateful for?
I am deeply grateful for the ability to both give and receive love, allowing me to connect meaningfully with others and experience the beauty that surrounds me.
What a beautiful thing to be grateful for, Beth. I'm so glad your heart is so open. It's what makes you such a powerful writer.
Thanks, Lisa. That means a lot!
I'm grateful for all the people in my life, including you, Lisa! I have learned so much from your podcast and really appreciate reading your newsletters. Thank you for always sharing with us!
Thank you so much, Marisa! That means the world to me.
I love that you point out the difficulties in being grateful when you’re not. When my mom was first diagnosed with dementia, everyone told me to be grateful I still had her. But all I could see is what I lost. Now, I feel gratitude every time I see or talk to her and it just oozes out of me. It’s impossible to be negative or unhappy when you have a grateful heart.
Thanks for acknowledging this and for sharing your story, Michele, especially since you are also a font of knowledge when it comes to these things. I actually believe that giving ourselves permission to feel ungrateful is one of the things that opens us to gratitude. But we rarely allow ourselves that kind of grace. I'm so glad you did and I'm glad you feel so grateful for the precious time you have with your mother. And still, dementia is HARD. Sending you love, my friend.
I love that you point out the "both/and" of gratitude - it can be tinged with other emotions, too, like grief. My gratitude is tinged with fear this year, but I'm choosing to trust in goodness and submitting to fate (amor fati). Thank you again for having us on the podcast - we loved chatting with you!
Thanks for reading this, Ariel! I'm a huge fan of your Substack, Notes from the Editor. It's so spot on! Yeah, my gratitude is equally laced with other feelings. Holding space for all of it is what helps us embrace our humanity and everyone else's.
Just today I was "introduced" to Patricia Noonan (author of A Certain Idea of America) and Martha Wells (author of Murderbot) through different emails. I get so excited to learn about new writers and to read their thoughts.
Wow! Those sound like great books. Thanks for sharing them with all of us and for the enthusiasm you bring to your writing and the authors you support.
I'm grateful for the retired university art professor I help twice a week, acting like her personal assistant. She is a tough old New Englander in the very best sense of the word and has had an extraordinary life. I could listen to her for hours, and believe I get at least as much from those 4 or 5 hours a week as she does. I'm also grateful for my friend Pete, who, though he annoys me terrifically sometimes, turned out to be a dynamite first reader. Oh yeah, and I'm grateful for you, Lisa. For that webinar in October, for your blog, and for the community you work to create. And that's enough to be going on with, I think. Happy Turkey.
Thank you so much for sharing your abundance with all of us, Michal! It sounds like you and the retired art professor are lucky to have each other in your lives. That's fantastic news. Also, thank you for adding me to your gratitude list. I'm deeply honored.