On this third day of the Month of Gratitude 2016, Respect! and thank you to all those wonderful women and men who have passed through my life and selflessly imparted a bit of their wisdom, skill, knowledge and a great deal of time to help save me from myself (and possibly save others in the process). I loved my schooling because of the great start I had with Mrs Dawson. Sr. Theresilla, Sr. Roberts and all the other nuns at the Convent. (I am deliberately not going to mention

I am grateful that I have enough. I was cleaning out my bathroom cupboard this weekend and in the process discovered I had 5 bottles of varying shades of red nail varnish. I don’t wear red nail varnish. In the mix was also several brands of top coat and too many to mention nail and cuticle treatments – which I never use. As I stepped out of the bathroom, the “card box” that I’ve been meaning to sort out for about a year now caught my eye. There must be over one hundred differ

A quick Did-You-Know? The tradition of the New Year’s Resolutions goes all the way back to 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar. With two faces, Janus could look back on past events and forward to the future. Janus became the ancient symbol for resolutions and many Romans looked for forgiveness from their enemies and also exchanged gifts before the beginning of each year. Anyone who has ever made and broken a New Year’s Resoluti

This is my story. I am grateful that I remembered to be Grateful :-) It has been a wonderful month.

One Month of Gratitude – my story. I am grateful that I know what my rights are and am prepared to stand up for them. I spent the afternoon yesterday hearing about abused and raped men and women who didn’t & couldn’t, and suffered dearly for it.

One Month of Gratitude – my story. I am grateful that my 7-year old has found a sport that he is smitten with. Karate above all others. Because he enjoys the sport, he works harder at it. Because he works hard at it he does well in the sport. We are often told that he does not focus enough, doesn’t concentrate or lacks interest in things. With karate he excels in all these things so we know that he just needs the right stimulation and motivation. I’m glad my son is happy in t

One Month of Gratitude – my story. I am grateful that summer has finally reached South Africa. The sunshine really does wonders for the soul. The clear skies tell me that everything is going to be okay. Summer in South Africa, and Joburg in particular, really is something to be experienced and treasured.

One Month of Gratitude – my story. I am grateful to all the artists out there who fill the gaps in my life with their expressions of painting, music and poetry. My life would be incomplete without all the richness that they bring to my world. I am more content for it.

One Month of Gratitude – my story. I am grateful that I have not lived in a time of war in my country; like the great wars and the ongoing Middle East conflict. It is an experience I don’t want to have to go through. God bless both the people of Israel and Gaza at this time.

One Month of Gratitude – my story. I am grateful that my husband arrived home safely from his business trip today. As much as I tell myself “it’s okay, I can handle this alone” it’s just so much easier when he’s around. I can feel myself relax the minute he walks through the door – even had a nap. I can let my guard down a little bit again.

One Month of Gratitude – my story. I am grateful for the many opportunities I’ve had to travel around the world – to meet different people, explore new cultures and take in the beauty of the earth.

One Month of Gratitude – my story. I am grateful that I wake to the sound of birds singing and look out on greenery and flowers growing. Any hardships that I may encounter are kicked into perspective when I am with nature and its healing powers.

One Month of Gratitude – my story. I am grateful I met my mother-in-law before she passed away all those years ago after suffering many years with cancer. I have no doubt that if she was around today that she would be very proud of her son and a doting grandmother too.

One Month of Gratitude – my story. I am grateful that I have my great-uncle Cecil in my life and that he is close to me and my family. We learn a great deal from him, about our family history, quirks and stories (sometimes exaggerated). It is also fabulous that my kids know that ‘old’ doesn’t mean incapable and with no purpose.

One Month of Gratitude – my story. I am grateful for a husband that has walked a long and never perfect road with me for almost 20 years now. We always say “it’s you and me against the world” and that means more the older we get and the longer we walk together. Our wedding song was “It Had To Be You” and the words are as real and true as they have ever been.

One Month of Gratitude – my story. I am grateful for a good heart and intention to do good. I never thought of myself as a “good person” and it is reassuring to know that anyone, even me, can end up in the right space and direction.

One Month of Gratitude – my story. I am grateful for my children; who give me so much more back than they will ever know. I believe that God gives you what you can handle and he gave me healthy, strong and intelligent children because he knew that I would have to face other challenges in my life. My children are everything that I ever wanted.

One Month of Gratitude – my story. I am grateful for the many opportunities that have presented themselves to me in my lifetime, as well as for the courage to pursue them and the mercy to re-begin again.

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and to give thanks continuously. And because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson Way back in the early 2000′s I decided to make and give out Gratitude Journals to close family and friends as Christmas gifts instead of the usual gifting options. I had been keeping a Gratitude Journal at my bedside for some time afte