It may be that, on a daily basis, I take our country’s peace for granted rather than give thanks for it. Yes, it has things that could be done better or differently, but overall we are indeed the Lucky Country when it comes to peace. Yes, I am aware that our Indigenous Australians paid a … More The Price of Peace
My ancestors were all what might be termed “ordinary people”, none achieved great heights of achievement other than to work hard, raise their children well and engage with their communities. It’s not that I have the Australian distrust of “Tall Poppies“, simply that my research means that I’d be shocked if I’d found a field … More Ordinary People
My 2020 Gratitude vision board has several pictures of the beauty of nature and especially flowers, which I love. I’m very grateful for the magnificent scenery where we live. When we lived in the Northern Territory I loved being out on the open road with vast spaces to the horizon. The grandeur of the Wet … More NATURE’S GLORY and DRAMA
When I list my gratitudes, it would not occur to me to count money, in and of, itself. And yet, things I am grateful for definitely require a level of financial security, and before I retired, it would have included a good job with a decent salary. So yes, money does matter. It’s given me … More Money matters
“What the world needs now is love, sweet love”[i]… Perhaps that’s more true than usual in these uncertain times of a pandemic. However, we’d probably mostly agree it’s what all of us hope for in our lives, whether it’s platonic, passionate, familial or of friends. Certainly, in my own life one of the key gratitudes … More Love and the Law
As the generations pass away behind us, we inherit bits and bobs that were once owned by family members. We may also have gifts that we’ve kept over the years because a much loved relative has given them to us. Unless your family was well off I think of these items as keepsakes – they … More Keepsakes or Heirlooms?
Earlier in the series I mentioned I’d prepared a Vision Board for 2020. One of the clippings I’d used said “Be brave -do something you’ve never done before”. I must admit I had something rather more fun that the current pandemic restrictions. <smile> Two of the other gratitude features I’d imaged were Joy and our … More Joy and Jubilees
Without a doubt, we all owe a debt of gratitude to our immigrant ancestors, because without their courage either we would not be here or our lives would be completely different. There are many characteristics we might associate with them: integrity, inspiration, intelligence, independence or initiative. Unless they were “doctors, lawyers, or Indian chiefs”, as … More Inspiration and Influence of Immigrants
One of the most important things we can be grateful for is the gift of good health. Not everyone is so fortunate, but my DNA health inheritance has been predominantly healthy. Those health issues which I have had to deal with have been responsive to good medical care – how very grateful we can be … More Gratitude for Health
Gifts may seem a very materialistic focus for our gratitude, but are they really? What we’re thanking the giver for, is their time and thoughtfulness in choosing something they think we’ll like or need. Quite often a gift may have an ordinary cash value, but an extraordinary emotional value simply because the person has found … More Gratitude for Gifts
Family history across the seas 