Monday, March 3, 2014

Luck & Gratitude

I'm one of the lucky ones.

I grew up knowing a lot of things:
  • my parents loved me
  • my sister was also my best friend
  • my job was to do my best
  • the world was a safe & fascinating place
  • I didn't have to have the same interests as everyone else
  • being quiet was okay
  • losing wasn't a big deal ... neither was winning
  • money was earned
  • laughter was vital
  • doing right was the only option
See? Lucky.

I still believe in all those things. I still know them deep down in my bones.

Feeling gratitude for all these things (and so many more) is important. Acknowledging that gratitude equally so.



The lovely Sheri Larsen is hosting a gratitude hop this week. There are so many people in this writing community I'm grateful to:
  • my amazing crit buddies
  • blog readers and blog writers (many of whom have become friends)
  • readers and writers
  • the awesome folks over at Agent Query Connect
  • agents and editors and publishers (oh my!)

And I'm grateful for a couple of 'things' as well:
  • creativity
  • passion
  • hope
  • joy
Of course I'm grateful to Sheri too! Thanks for helping us focus on what's truly important!

What about you? What are you grateful for?

45 comments:

Maria said...

Hi Jemi,

I'm grateful for the chance to be able to live in this wonderful world and to connect and live and learn. I'm grateful for having been truly loved, for being a mother and for the opportunity to work and write. I enjoy every moment of my life and even the problems teach me something.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

You grew up with some really great values.
Posted my entry this morning.

JeffO said...

Very nicely said, Jemi.

Natalie Aguirre said...

Great post. So many good things in life to be grateful for.

My post will go up on Wednesday.

Frankie Miller said...

You're right about this blog hop - we have to focus on what is truly important.
I like your angle on 'gratitude' from luck and personal perspective.

Jemi Fraser said...

Maria - I totally agree! :)

Alex - I'll pop over soon!

Jeff - thanks! :)

Natalie - looking forward to it!

Fanny - thanks! Being grateful is so important :)

L. Diane Wolfe said...

It's the simple thing we often forget when it comes to gratitude.

Talli Roland said...

What a lovely post! Like you, I'm so very grateful for my family. I had such a great childhood that I took for granted, but the older I get, the more I realise not everyone had such a wonderful upbringing.

S.A. Larsenッ said...

Aw...you had a sister and she was your BBF. Love that! I always wanted a sister... Oops, talking gratitude here, right?

Thanks so much for writing up this inspirational post and for participating in my blogfest. I truly hope it gives others a little boost, today. (Make sure to stop over at my site, where I have a little gift for you.)

Sheri at Writer's Alley

Home of Rebel Writer CREED 2014
Mighty Minion Bureau Team #atozchallenge

Dianne K. Salerni said...

I read Sheri's post this morning, and I definitely want to check out the video she posted and also working on stirring up some gratitude in my attitude!

On my 10th snow day of the year, facing a giant mound of schoolwork to grade and unreasonable expectations when school resumes, I ought to make my own list of what I should be grateful for.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

A lovely post and a nice reminder to me to count my blessings, too. Thanks, Jemi!

Cathrina Constantine said...

I have one sister and we are also best friends. We all have lots to be grateful for and your list is wonderful!!

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Sounds like your world growing up matched mine. I'm grateful to have passed most of that along to my children.

cleemckenzie said...

Wonderful, Jemi. Really. You some great things to be grateful for.

Nas said...

Aww...Jemi. So true. Such great values. We have a lot to be grateful for.

Rosi said...

You are a lucky person, but a lot of luck comes from hard work. You do have a lot for which to be grateful.

Unknown said...

Yes Jemi, you were definitely one of the lucky ones.

What am I grateful for? My health, my friends and my pets. One without the other would be meaningless.

Anonymous said...

Wonderful post. I see why you are grateful, and so am I. I'm grateful for my teaching and writing careers, family, friends, writer buddies, and so much more.

Jemi Fraser said...

Diane - so true!

Talli - thanks! I'm so very grateful for my folks and my childhood :)

Sheri - and thanks to you for hosting - it's been awesome!! :)

Dianne - yikes!! We don't have snow days any more (haven't in years!) - I can't imagine 10 of them!

Elizabeth - you're very welcome! :)

Cathrina - thanks! She still is my best buddy too :)

Susan - me too! It's a wonderful thing to pass along!

Lee - I do! And I AM grateful :)

Nas - we truly do!

Rosi - I do! And that hard work is all a part of it!!

Wendy - I agree - having that 'whole package' is vital!

Medeia - there is a LOT to love in life!

Mason Canyon said...

Jemi, what a great reminder to be grateful for what we have. While family is at the top of my list of things to be grateful for, I'm also grateful I found blogging and discovered such wonderful new friends (such as yourself).

TL said...

What a lucky person you are to have so much to be grateful for. :)I sure hope my kids feel the same sort of gratitude when they are grown.

Jemi Fraser said...

Mason - me too - there's nothing more important than family & friends in my life!

Tara - I hope for the same for my kids!

Anonymous said...

Such an uplifting reminder. I'm grateful for so many blessings I have been given especially my family and good friends.

DEZMOND said...

having in mind that list of yours, you truly are lucky, Jemi :)
I'm the otherway around. Always been plagued by extreme lack of luck. Poverty, hunger, wars, bombings, no family, and many other problems... but I think that people who swim in troubles usually have deeper perspective on life and grow stronger

Theresa Milstein said...

Sounds like you have a lot to be grateful for. I am so grateful for my husband and children. I've been able to create the kind of family I always longed for.

Jenni said...

What a beautiful list! My sister didn't become my BFF until we had grown up, but it's such a gift. And friendships with other writers (bloggers, critters, etc.) makes this all worthwhile.

Sherry Ellis said...

You learned a lot of great things growing up!

Jemi Fraser said...

Catherine - family and friends are the most important of all!

Dezzy - I agree. My parents grew up in a war situation and they created a wonderful situation for my sister and I

Theresa - me too! I think family is the best of all!

Jenni - those friendships are so very important!

Sherry - I did - and I'm so very grateful!

Carol Kilgore said...

LOVE this! I grew up knowing those things, too. I think a lot of people don't grow up that way anymore. It's sad. Great post. I'm sharing it on Twitter.

klahanie said...

Hey Jemi,

How's it goin', eh?

You are blessed and your gratitude for your blessings resonates within your posting.

I'm grateful to know you. I'd be most grateful if these darned blog hops ended :)

Take care, Jemi.

Gary :)

Kristin Smith said...

Love your post! Sounds like you grew up in a wonderful home with solid values.

Somewhat new to this blogging world, I'm beginning to understand how amazing other writers/bloggers can be with their support and encouragement. Definitely something to be grateful for!!

KM Nalle said...

What a great idea for a blogfest. I love your gratitude list.

The world would be a brighter place if we all held an attitude of gratitude.

Jemi Fraser said...

Carol - thanks so much! It is sad how few people grow up without those things!

Gary - I'm grateful to know you too! This internet thing can be a very good thing eh! :)

Kristin - thank you! The online writing community is one of the most amazing groups I've ever met! :)

Kari - that attitude can be contagious too! :)

Michelle Wallace said...

Your 10 'growing-up lucky' points really resonated with me. Every one of them. So I count myself as super-lucky AND blessed!
An attitude of gratitude is a great one to live by!!
HAPPY WORLD READ ALOUD DAY!
Writer In Transit

Crystal Collier said...

Yay! Your post made me smile in a crazy wicked way. I just want to echo everything you said.

Beth said...

I'm grateful for many of the same things as you - a wonderful family, the ability to be quiet and listen, the importance of laughter and doing right. Now I'm grateful for a wonderful husband, terrific kids, and the space to be able to write with joy!

Jemi Fraser said...

Michelle - how did I not know it was world Read Aloud day!!!! At least I did that today :)

Crystal - that's awesome - thanks!!

Beth - I would echo all of your additions - we've been very lucky Beth!! :)

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

It's good to stop and think about all the things we are grateful for.
Hugs.

Jemi Fraser said...

Lynda - it really is - and there's always more than we think! :)

Luna said...

Wonderful list, Jemi! It's one thing to recognize all the good, but to be grateful sweetens it even more. Bliss! :)

Margo Berendsen said...

I grew up incredibly with everything on your list (except the sister! still wish I had a sister!) but I am so grateful for the close friends who have become my surrogate sisters and I love that you listed creativity, passion, hope and joy as things you are grateful for too. Sometimes the intangibles are forgotten but they are so important!

LD Masterson said...

All parents should instill those simple truths in their children. So few do.

Jemi Fraser said...

Jamie - you're so right!

Margo - those intangibles are often what makes life worth while!

Linda - sadly you're right - often times those things are forgotten!

Theresa Milstein said...

What a lot of things to be grateful for!

My sister is also my best friend. :)

Jemi Fraser said...

Theresa - There are a lot! And that makes life pretty awesome! :)