Family history across the seas

Much of the year we rush from pillar to post, taking a lot of the good things in life for granted. I’ve recently attended a gratitude class with local Toni Powell (an amusing and engaging speaker), who presents the many benefits to our health and well-being in having gratitude for so much in our lives – and extending it to others. The North American holiday of Thanksgiving fits so well within this model and I’m very grateful to my friend Alona from LoneTester blog for inspiring me with this blog post.

Much as I admire the Thanksgiving holiday I think it would be a disaster to implement at this time of the year in Australia when we’re already dealing with end of the academic year, graduations, school formals, annual holidays, hot weather and Christmas. It seems to me that it fits much better with the reflective nature of autumn.

I’d like to share my own list of gratitudes with you.

• I’m grateful for the abundance of good people and aspects of my life.
• I’m grateful always for having a wonderful, caring, funny and supportive other half in Mr Cassmob. He is my rock.
• I’m grateful always for our three intelligent and caring daughters, their other halves, and our four fabulous grandchildren who we love so much.
• I’m grateful that our daughters have each others backs through thick and thin, lifting each other up and providing encouragement. They’ll be fine when we’ve left the planet.
• I’m grateful for the pleasure our furry person gives us daily with his company, graciously bestowed with cuddles, and to all the cats who’ve been in our lives.
• I’m grateful for the skills of the medical teams and the innovative equipment developers who have had such a positive influence in our lives this year.
• I’m grateful to be healthy and able to enjoy our retirement, thanks to the hard work of those who came before us and fought for our workplace rights.
• I’m grateful to live in a free, democratic country where everyone has an equal right to vote, we have social support for those in need, and access to health is not likely to bankrupt us.
• I’m grateful for the beautiful scenery and nature that surrounds us, that we can enjoy every day.
• I’m grateful (and sometimes amazed) when my garden grows and new plants flourish. I delight in the flowers and the birds that visit.
• I’m grateful to my parents for so much but especially giving me the enormous gift of education, at a time when educating girls was considered less important.
• I’m grateful to educators of all varieties, artists, musicians and craftspeople who share their talents, knowledge, and creativity with us, bringing pleasure to our lives.
• I’m grateful for the opportunity to spend time with friends every week, to be closer to some of my friends than I was previously, and that I still get to visit with my Darwin friends when I travel there or vice versa.
• I’m grateful for my many friends who live here and around the world and with whom I can stay in touch through social media, email, texts, phone or Skype.
• I’m grateful for a wonderful variety of fresh, health food from diverse cuisines.
• I’m grateful for the opportunity to travel locally or far away, to see new sights, meet new people and experience other cultures.
• I’m grateful for the skill of pilots, and the engineering excellence, which lets me fly many miles a year, near and far, with the ease of getting on the bus (but if they could offer even more leg room on the bus I’d be even more grateful).
• I’m grateful for the technology that lets me take a library of books and music with me in a tiny package when I travel.
• I’m grateful to those who gave me welcome and assistance in conferences, hotels and venues around the world this year and in previous years.
• I’m grateful for the community of genealogists who I’ve met, the knowledge and friendship they share, and for the joy that 30 years of family history has given me.
• I’m grateful for the wonderful online resources that are available to me, the joy of archives and libraries, and the sudden digitisation of a wealth of free Irish records.
• I’m grateful for the beach, sunshine, cool breezes and uncrowded spaces.
• I’m grateful for my life.