Do You Have Anything to Be Grateful For?

i'm grateful that i've got MP, which i don't find depressing at all. if this were a site to share blessings and platitudes, i'd leave it to the 'pink farts' as my dad calls 'em. i'm here because i enjoy reading about real life challenges and real life solutions.
khairete
S.

I rarely find the posts here depressing. They are about life, and people seeking answers to problems. Problems aren't depressing, they are problems.

We say what we are grateful for every night at dinner. Right now I'm super thankful for spring, and for daffodils and magnolias. We had a lovely picnic in a field of daffodils yesterday. Little things like that really make life feel and be amazingly joyful.

I have too many things to list!

And never forget that we are truly blessed to live in the USA where we take SO much for granted.

The poorest here are truly better off than so many on the world.

Wow, rude much? You come onto a site where parents are asking for help and advice with daily challenges and struggles and then chide them for being depressing?
If you think moms going on line looking for support, advice and helpful answers to their problems, however big or small, is lame then please find another forum. How about mylifeissogreatandidon'twanttohearaboutyourproblems.com

Of course I have a LOT to be grateful for, but this isn't Facebook, it's a forum to ask questions about issues you are dealing with as a parent, a place to ask for advice and help.
I'm sorry you find people reaching out for help to be "depressing" but that's what this is.
If you don't want to be burdened with helping others then why are you even here?

I've got tons of good in my life, and one thing is that this is a place people can come for advice. This isn't supposed to be an "uplifting" place, per se. It's a place people come when they have a problem and need help. If you don't like reading about other people's problems (they aren't there for your entertainment, anyway!), find another site to read. I totally agree with Jill.

I was just talking with my pastor's wife this week. Now, this woman is 40. As a child she had some sort of jaw disease that literally ate away at her lower jawbone until she had none. Had she lived here, she could've received treatment, but she didn't then - so she has no lower jaw.

Then, God saw fit that after having her two children, she should be diagnosed with scleroderma - not the kind that just hardens and tightens your skin, but systemic sclerosis that is hardening her organs, one by one. There is no cure for this - they are just treating each organ failure as it comes. She's on transplant medication just so her body won't reject her own organs. Oh, and her skin is so tight she looks like a mannequin, and has numerous sore where the skin is just tearing over bone.

Then, two weeks ago, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Does this post seem depressing yet? Here's the sunshine - this woman has the most incredible faith I've ever seen, still stands up and sings joyous hymns to the Lord in church amidst her trials and tribulations, and had stopped by my house this particular instance to pray with me for my daughter, who has health concerns that don't even come CLOSE to what this woman is suffering.

And when I feel, "Oh, my poor daughter" I just think of dear Elena.

She reminded me, as well, to be thankful for what we DO have and not sad about what we don't.

So yes - I am so thankful for my life, my husband and my children's lives. I am thankful for relative health in us all, I am thankful for the food on my table and the roof over my head, the clothes on my back and the shoes on my feet.

I am thankful that every day I wake up in God's world. I am thankful that He gives me many opportunities to serve and give back, because He has given us all so much.

I am thankful for my parents, who help us with so much. I am thankful for my inlaws and all they do. They have been without water for TWO MONTHS due to deep frost - their entire block - and they are still getting by. I'm thankful for this disaster, because now my brother-in-law has to come over every day to shower and my girls get to spend a little time every day with their uncle.

So, so, so much to be thankful for.

I have a ton to be grateful for but right now grateful I don't have to justify "depressing posts" to you or anyone. People come here for help typically. Sorry if that's depressing to you but they are hoping to get help. Listing all the great things in your life is irrelevant to them and only serves to make you feel good. Seems like you're trying to shame people from how you wrote this and that strikes me as mean.

I am grateful that my most recent medical tests all came out as healthy. I am also grateful that it has been put on my heart to be more kind, spiritual, and prayerful --due to the medical scare that caused me to seek medical help. I see it as a wake up call.

Good question.

My favourite quote is "Be happy with what you have and you will have plenty to be happy about.' I can honestly say that I have everything I need and much of what I want.

My cup runneth over... really, truly. I have an abundance of goodness in my life right now: a sweet seven year old boy with a missing front tooth, a very wonderful and supportive husband, a warm and cozy home, good friends, a sense of purpose in being a housewife and mom.

My refrigerator has enough food. We live frugally but well. I feel like our family has direction, even in the midst of our challenges. And if the rain lets up, some kind neighbors gave me a big chunk of dahlias to plant...the garden itself is gorgeous right now, with fat hot pink camellias, tulips and bluebells bursting open. It makes me happy to see it, even when I'm taking out the trash. Happy to have what I have to be happy with.

Life is rich and good. I am fortunate enough to have the perspective and space to see that. Frankly, I agree that there have been a lot of posts which have made me feel like I just need to move on and go wash dishes or something, so thanks for this! I didn't get a sense that you were trying to shame anyone-- a lot of people come on this site not just for advice, but to vent or receive support/validation for less-than-lovely behavior on their part. We often don't tend to focus on the good in our lives, and it gets draining after a while, which is why I'm here less and less.

2 years ago, although I still had plenty of joy in my life, I had a lot more stress than I do now....
My baby was awaiting his 2nd heart surgery, but he kept getting sick and having to postpone it. My husband found a great job that fell through AFTER quitting the job he was already at. My daughter had oral surgery and soon after got an infection in her hip joint that could've, but thankfully didn't, require surgery. Then she had a horrible accident, where a gate from a trailer fell on her and we had to call 911. Thankfully she only had a concussion and gash in her head, some cuts on her face and a lost tooth...it could've been much worse with how heavy the gate is! My son broke his leg for the 2nd time. The same son busted his head sliding down the storm cellar door, and got staples and had a small concussion.
There were actually a few more crazy things that happened and I lived every day in a state of panic, wondering what was going to happen that day. (That all happened within 2 months time) But, as crazy as that time was, everything turned out just fine!
My son has recovered well from heart surgery and shouldn't require another until he's an adult!
My daughter has recovered from all of her stuff and, besides being more cautious about stuff, is back to her old self!
My son broke his other leg later in the summer, but is doing great and it sure hasn't slowed him down!
We had another baby boy who is healthy and happy, and are expecting another baby this July!
My husband found the perfect job that he loves and that provides for our family!
I have a wonderful marriage and I'm able to stay home and homeschool my kids!
So much to be thankful for.... I'm very blessed!

I am happy that my health is good at the moment.
I am happy that my children's health is good.
I am glad that I have a roof over our heads and food on the table.
I am happy that I live in a free democratic country with great, free health care.
I am happy that my children can attend school and have all the benefits that go along with it.
I am happy that I have a fantastic job, and that I'm going places with it.
I am happy that my job pays for our home, food, clothes etc.
I am happy with my education and where it's got me.
I am happy that the only debt I have is a relatively small mortgage.

I think we all have good/great things going on however this is a site for getting advise and sometimes seeking emotional support. Only speaking for myself but I don't really need advise or support for all the great things in my life. In order to bypass the depressing posts, you can always read the titles and bypass those that may be depressing. Oops after reading your last line I guess you didn't want to hear from me. I am happy for you though it sounds like you have alot of wonderful things going on.

Right now I feel really blessed because we've got a baby due in a month and I have a job that offers free short term disability to it's employees and will pay me at my full salary for 6 weeks after the baby is born. When my daughter was born the company I worked for didn't offer anything like that so my full 12 weeks off was unpaid.

I have a lot to be grateful for. I also think that happiness is a choice although not always an easy one.

This post reminds me of that old saying...if all of our troubles were hung on he line, you would take yours and I would take mine.

I'm grateful that my husband works hard so I don't have to. I'm grateful for my kids, even though they drive me crazy sometimes. I'm grateful for my mom who is my only immediate family I have left. I'm grateful for my friends who are on their way over here right now. I'm grateful for my church and all the things that I have learned and grown from going there. I'm grateful for a house that is big enough for us all to spread out and cars that are very old but reliable. I'm grateful that we have little debt. I'm grateful for the trials in my life because I have learned some valuable lessons from them.

I have lots of good things in my life - family, friends, lovers, pets, a home, a job, hobbies that keep me busy.

1. My family 2. That I still have my grandmom..she is 94
3. Biking 4.Vegetable garden 5. Giggling 6. Helping out my childrens school
7. Reading with my kids 8. Reading by myself 9. Chocolate 10.Avocados 11. Chicken marsala 12. Indoor rock climbing 13. Cooking 14. Baking 15. Spending time with my extended family 16. Drawing 17. Friends 18. My body 19. Gratitude 20. Soup 21.all 10 of my toes 22. Peace

ETA - from reading others posts...you must have changed your question. YIKES....
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I am grateful that God granted me the ability to be at my mom's side when she died in September 2013.

I am grateful for the true friends I have in my life...all that God has brought me - the good and the bad...it's those bad people (yep, even nasty ones from this site) have helped show me that I'm doing something right! LOL!!

There is always a silver lining...tomorrow is always another day to do better.

It's a gorgeous day in the most beautiful place on earth.
My family is happy and healthy.
Had a great lunch with girlfriends yesterday.
It's baseball season.

Lots and lots to be grateful for, nice post!

We tend to appreciate the "hard times" and challenges and what we learned from them AFTER they are over. While we experience hardships, we usually aren't saying "wow I wouldn't change any of this because I know I am learning so much from it and will appreciate life even MORE in the future!" and that's okay. When times are hard we need support, encouragement, empathy, sometimes advice and solutions. We have to be okay with ourselves, and people in our lives, *occasionally* being down in the dumps and depressed/depressing. Because you're right, it does also make you appreciate your blessings too, when things look up again. But to everything there is a season.

To answer your actual question, I've got all you can ask for right now,the usuals: good health for me and my loved ones, stable finances, enough daily stress to keep things interesting but not do us in. So I am happy to help out others who may not be in the same season at the moment, and may need some perspective or encouragement from an outside source.

Do I have anything to be thankful for? ~~~ Only each and every thing, each and every one.
Doesn't everyone?

Good for you for noticing what you DO have in your life to be grateful
for.
I am grateful every day I wake up.
I am thankful for my health & that of my family's (DH, kids, siblings, parents etc. ).
Grateful for money to pay the bills, jobs, cars that work & get us from point A to point B, the sunshine, warm weather, friends, the ability to
walk, feed myself, walk around, see, give & receive hugs, a roof over my
head, etc.
Life has peaks AND valleys....maybe so we appreciate the peaks. Or
maybe it's just because that is how life goes.
I turn on the news each morning & realize my life is really good. Despite
the minor tribulations I have.
Appreciate what you have.
Be happy.
Take care of yourself & your loved ones.
Smile, laugh, enjoy the outdoors, the sun on your face etc.
Help others when you see them in need.
Be kind. Count your blessings.

Hubby and I are both employed; we are enjoying raising a grandchild; we have a nice home and food on the table. Most of all, we enjoy good health with no ongoing health issues. And, oh yeah, NOW we have health insurance that we can afford! So much to be grateful for!