Infinite Happy Days - Gratitude and Joy Posts - Part 3
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Florida
Posts: 6,780
So happy that my toothache is receding quite a bit...... it's an issue I definitely plan on addressing but I'm just not ready right now. Redoing my dental work AGAIN is an expensive, big project & a general ongoing PITA in my life since my very 1st tooth...... it's in my long-term plans for sure & I'm getting there. Just not yet. 
Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 1,572
So this is kind of a long one.
I am grateful for the kindness of others, and for my recovery and the path it has put me on toward personal responsibility.
Last Monday I was driving to pick up DS. It was stop and go traffic on a well-traveled street where the speed limit is only 30 MPH. I got distracted while rubbernecking at a guy who was pulled over in opposing traffic, and ended up bumping the guy in front of me. I was only going 10-12 miles an hour. He was super nice--three boys in his car, on their way to a Little League game. I gave him my info, and we agreed to just notify the police after the fact, since there was no damage to my car and a scrape on his back bumper. OF HIS GODDAMN BMW. Ugh.
I asked him to please contact me with an estimate before he involved insurance, because the scrape wasn't huge and my insurance would go up a ton if we filed a claim. He was cool about it. A police officer showed up at my apartment later that night to just confirm everything.
NEVERTHELESS, this has been keeping me up at night. Even though it's not a huge scrape, it's a damn BMW, and the repair could easily be $500. Where the hell would I come up with that kind of money, especially on short notice, when he called me with his estimate? But at the same time, I have been telling myself "Wisconsin, you weren't paying attention. This was your fault, and you need to face that AND the consequences."
Well, he just called me. He said "you know, if it's not important enough to ME to do something about this in over a week, then it's not important enough for YOU to have to deal with it." So, he's in no rush to fix the scrape, and will not be asking me to pay for it.
I'm not going to lie--part of this feels like a gift from the universe for my personal growth over the past few years. I have changed so much, for the better, and no longer am a person who would have been tempted to minimize the fact that this was TOTALLY MY FAULT. This is a tremendous blessing for me right now, both spiritually and financially.
I am grateful for the kindness of others, and for my recovery and the path it has put me on toward personal responsibility.
Last Monday I was driving to pick up DS. It was stop and go traffic on a well-traveled street where the speed limit is only 30 MPH. I got distracted while rubbernecking at a guy who was pulled over in opposing traffic, and ended up bumping the guy in front of me. I was only going 10-12 miles an hour. He was super nice--three boys in his car, on their way to a Little League game. I gave him my info, and we agreed to just notify the police after the fact, since there was no damage to my car and a scrape on his back bumper. OF HIS GODDAMN BMW. Ugh.
I asked him to please contact me with an estimate before he involved insurance, because the scrape wasn't huge and my insurance would go up a ton if we filed a claim. He was cool about it. A police officer showed up at my apartment later that night to just confirm everything.
NEVERTHELESS, this has been keeping me up at night. Even though it's not a huge scrape, it's a damn BMW, and the repair could easily be $500. Where the hell would I come up with that kind of money, especially on short notice, when he called me with his estimate? But at the same time, I have been telling myself "Wisconsin, you weren't paying attention. This was your fault, and you need to face that AND the consequences."
Well, he just called me. He said "you know, if it's not important enough to ME to do something about this in over a week, then it's not important enough for YOU to have to deal with it." So, he's in no rush to fix the scrape, and will not be asking me to pay for it.
I'm not going to lie--part of this feels like a gift from the universe for my personal growth over the past few years. I have changed so much, for the better, and no longer am a person who would have been tempted to minimize the fact that this was TOTALLY MY FAULT. This is a tremendous blessing for me right now, both spiritually and financially.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Midwest
Posts: 11,481
What a great post, Wisconsin! And what a great revelation for you about the personal responsibility.
Isn't it funny how we need to both accept MORE responsibility and LET GO of responsibility in recovery? MORE for what truly is our responsibility and which we have ignored or hidden from, and LET GO of responsibility for others...
This is one of those things that would have sounded like complete BS to me not all that long ago. "Well, which IS it, I need to be MORE responsible or I need to LET GO of responsibility? There is no way BOTH can be true!"
What is the saying? "Recovery is giving up everything you know for something you don't yet understand"? But when you begin to understand, oh boy, then it gets good!
Isn't it funny how we need to both accept MORE responsibility and LET GO of responsibility in recovery? MORE for what truly is our responsibility and which we have ignored or hidden from, and LET GO of responsibility for others...
This is one of those things that would have sounded like complete BS to me not all that long ago. "Well, which IS it, I need to be MORE responsible or I need to LET GO of responsibility? There is no way BOTH can be true!"
What is the saying? "Recovery is giving up everything you know for something you don't yet understand"? But when you begin to understand, oh boy, then it gets good!
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Alaska
Posts: 2,913
Grateful for Summer Solstice week! I love the long days. Last night, I took DS and my mom to a Taiko drum concert and it was phenomenal! I am always blown away by music's ability to transport our hearts and souls.
A local club of kids and adults ranging from about age 10 or so to 60's performed, in addition to the professional group, and DS was impressed at how well they did for "regular kids like me". (They were awesome!) For a brief moment, I had visions of joining the local group - and then, they encouraged audience participation, and ..... I had to stop clapping when we had to yell because I totally lost the beat.... every time.
(I may still decide to learn to drum, anyway.)
DS and I walked to the event from our apartment, so we got the added benefit of much needed vitamin D boost on a glorious, sunny summer evening.
A local club of kids and adults ranging from about age 10 or so to 60's performed, in addition to the professional group, and DS was impressed at how well they did for "regular kids like me". (They were awesome!) For a brief moment, I had visions of joining the local group - and then, they encouraged audience participation, and ..... I had to stop clapping when we had to yell because I totally lost the beat.... every time.
(I may still decide to learn to drum, anyway.)DS and I walked to the event from our apartment, so we got the added benefit of much needed vitamin D boost on a glorious, sunny summer evening.
Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Central O-H-I-O
Posts: 1,689
I too enjoy the brighter mornings and the sunlight well into the evening, it helps the overall mood.
It also appears that the rain will hold off, and allow me to play golf in the company golf league tonight!
It also appears that the rain will hold off, and allow me to play golf in the company golf league tonight!
Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 1,572
COHD, golf outings are so much fun! I don't miss much about practicing law, but I do miss the summer golf outings.
uncertainty, how many hours of daylight do y'all have this time of year? I'm not sure how far north you are in Alaska...
I was thinking today of how grateful I am that my out-of-town friend introduced me to geocaching last weekend. It gets me outside (which admittedly is not where I tend to gravitate when I have free time), and it exposes me to little places right in my own community that I never even knew existed. If anybody is interested in taking a look, the app is called Geocaching and you can download it onto your phone for free. There is a paid upgrade, but you don't need it to see how many caches are in your area, nor do you need it to view the details on caches that have been coded with a pretty low difficulty level.
uncertainty, how many hours of daylight do y'all have this time of year? I'm not sure how far north you are in Alaska...
I was thinking today of how grateful I am that my out-of-town friend introduced me to geocaching last weekend. It gets me outside (which admittedly is not where I tend to gravitate when I have free time), and it exposes me to little places right in my own community that I never even knew existed. If anybody is interested in taking a look, the app is called Geocaching and you can download it onto your phone for free. There is a paid upgrade, but you don't need it to see how many caches are in your area, nor do you need it to view the details on caches that have been coded with a pretty low difficulty level.
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Florida
Posts: 6,780
I will definitely check out that app - DD has gone geocaching with friends in the past & and had a blast.
I'm also happy for all the outside-soaking-up-the-vitamin-D time. I'm settling into my morning walks, gaining speed & endurance every day. I made it through a 90-minute yoga workout on Monday night that left me beyond exhausted but it feels so good to have earned the soreness in my muscles.
I'm also happy for all the outside-soaking-up-the-vitamin-D time. I'm settling into my morning walks, gaining speed & endurance every day. I made it through a 90-minute yoga workout on Monday night that left me beyond exhausted but it feels so good to have earned the soreness in my muscles.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Alaska
Posts: 2,913
Originally Posted by Wisconsin 
uncertainty, how many hours of daylight do y'all have this time of year? I'm not sure how far north you are in Alaska...
On 06/20/16, Anchorage got 19 hours and 21 minutes and 36 seconds of day light.The following is from 2012 (from YouTube - not mine), and the view of Anchorage isn't that photogenic, but it shows a time lapse of the day after Summer Solstice. It's pretty cool. The sun sets, as in it dips below the horizon, and the street lights come on, but it never really gets dark.
https://youtu.be/o2O1PPG3m7A
Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Western US
Posts: 8,968
Had an off day but good things happened and I made other good things happen:
meditated 20 min
A good rain which we needed
I managed to put my chainsaw back together - yay me
happily cut up some logs
friend came to visit and we gave ourselves a tour of the renovated library
another friend called and we made a yoga date
It makes me feel better just to write this out: I have friends and I do useful things,
meditated 20 min
A good rain which we needed
I managed to put my chainsaw back together - yay me
happily cut up some logs
friend came to visit and we gave ourselves a tour of the renovated library
another friend called and we made a yoga date
It makes me feel better just to write this out: I have friends and I do useful things,
Member
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Texas
Posts: 2,872
Yall-I am so not tooting my own horn but I am just about loving life more than I ever have right now. My job promotion is killer (cue the tune "movin on up!"), my running is just in sync, weight training going well, kids are beyond good , I'm learning the fiddle and finally starting my Italian audio CDs in the car (truly, I just want to be able to sing like Andrea Bocelli!), and life just about rocks in all ways right now. I NEVER thought I would be living this life-I never thought I would be this happy. Bottom of my heart and pit of my stomach happy. JOY. My cup runneth over.
Grateful, oh so grateful.
Grateful, oh so grateful.
Member
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Midwest
Posts: 11,481
Today I'm grateful for CentralOhioDad and ForOurGirls kindly volunteering to take over my posting duties on the "Today's Hope" thread on July 1 and 2 when I'll be unavailable.
I'm going to be traveling to Canada for my bro's wedding, and I just found out my weirdest, favoritest uncle who I haven't seen in a coon's age is going to be coming--looking forward to the weekend!
I'm going to be traveling to Canada for my bro's wedding, and I just found out my weirdest, favoritest uncle who I haven't seen in a coon's age is going to be coming--looking forward to the weekend!
Member
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Central O-H-I-O
Posts: 1,689
I'm grateful for my bed, which I'm missing right now because I was up with DS for 3.5 hours last night because of the storms. He slept part of the time, but he would wake up and make sure I was still there! He was calm, and wife was passed out, so she was unavailable, as usual, to be a parent.
So, I'm happy that he was able to sleep and not be scared because "Big, strong Daddy" was there!
I don't do well on less than 7 hours sleep!! Oh well, I'll survive!!
So, I'm happy that he was able to sleep and not be scared because "Big, strong Daddy" was there!
I don't do well on less than 7 hours sleep!! Oh well, I'll survive!!
Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 1,572
I am grateful that (knock on wood) my sweet foster dog's adoption journey is about to finally, FINALLY end. After not one but TWO failed adoptions (including the nice school psychologist from the other week...my foster and her cat just couldn't seem to get comfortable with each other).
Amazingly, the family who met my foster dog last night and immediately decided to adopt him has a son who has been in school with my DD16 since 2nd grade. That's particularly amazing when you consider that my DD16 goes to school 60 miles from where I live, and these people only even knew of my foster dog's existence because a mutual Facebook friend shared one of my posts about my foster dog.
Anyway, they fell in love with him last night, and will be taking him home for good next Friday (they will be out of town for most of next week, so I get a few extra days with the little guy).
I am so grateful for a happy ending for this wonderful dog after such a long road. This was our first foster experience, and it lasted much longer than is typical for the rescue, because he's a senior dog. It has been amazing for all of us, and I'm glad we were able to do it, because...
It will also be our last foster for awhile. We found out earlier this week that we have been approved for a 3-bedroom apartment about 5 miles from where we live now. Many of you know that we happily crammed ourselves into a small 2-bedroom last summer to get away from STBXAH. Nobody has complained once, and we have thrived. But I got a lead on a 3-bedroom lower unit in an upper/lower duplex (a very common configuration around here), and by some miracle, it turns out that the owner grew up in the same area as me. We immediately bonded, and she is renting the apartment to us despite my challenging financial situation. I will finally have a bedroom, and the house has a nice back yard. They will accept MY dog, but not a foster. I plan to sign on with the rescue as a volunteer in another capacity (adoption coordinator, volunteer coordinator, etc.), so we will still be involved. But when faced with the choice of a bigger place, or continuing to foster, it was a fairly easy choice. This new place is a home we can live in for years while I get all the money I borrowed last summer repaid and I work on improving my credit score.
So, I am ALSO grateful for a wonderful new home on the horizon. We will move in August.
Amazingly, the family who met my foster dog last night and immediately decided to adopt him has a son who has been in school with my DD16 since 2nd grade. That's particularly amazing when you consider that my DD16 goes to school 60 miles from where I live, and these people only even knew of my foster dog's existence because a mutual Facebook friend shared one of my posts about my foster dog.
Anyway, they fell in love with him last night, and will be taking him home for good next Friday (they will be out of town for most of next week, so I get a few extra days with the little guy).
I am so grateful for a happy ending for this wonderful dog after such a long road. This was our first foster experience, and it lasted much longer than is typical for the rescue, because he's a senior dog. It has been amazing for all of us, and I'm glad we were able to do it, because...
It will also be our last foster for awhile. We found out earlier this week that we have been approved for a 3-bedroom apartment about 5 miles from where we live now. Many of you know that we happily crammed ourselves into a small 2-bedroom last summer to get away from STBXAH. Nobody has complained once, and we have thrived. But I got a lead on a 3-bedroom lower unit in an upper/lower duplex (a very common configuration around here), and by some miracle, it turns out that the owner grew up in the same area as me. We immediately bonded, and she is renting the apartment to us despite my challenging financial situation. I will finally have a bedroom, and the house has a nice back yard. They will accept MY dog, but not a foster. I plan to sign on with the rescue as a volunteer in another capacity (adoption coordinator, volunteer coordinator, etc.), so we will still be involved. But when faced with the choice of a bigger place, or continuing to foster, it was a fairly easy choice. This new place is a home we can live in for years while I get all the money I borrowed last summer repaid and I work on improving my credit score.
So, I am ALSO grateful for a wonderful new home on the horizon. We will move in August.
Member
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Florida
Posts: 6,780
You all have so many incredible things going on, I'm in AWE! (I'm with honey, chainsaws & fiddles??? what!?)
bekind - I think of you every time I take my vitamin D - are you remembering yours?
COD - that's the BEST reason to lose sleep.
LeeJane - I am soaking UP the silence with DD on vacation this week..... ahhhh.........
W - that is simply fantastic news, August is not far off!
Incredibly grateful to be able to attend my reiki circle last night. It's been a few months since I've been able to get there & it was like getting my spiritual checkup. I was even luckier to be able to follow it up with acupuncture 1st thing this morning, right before work. Today is the last day in my work week & I'm out early at 2pm. I'm ready to slide into a relaxing evening/weekend.
bekind - I think of you every time I take my vitamin D - are you remembering yours?
COD - that's the BEST reason to lose sleep.
LeeJane - I am soaking UP the silence with DD on vacation this week..... ahhhh.........
W - that is simply fantastic news, August is not far off!
Incredibly grateful to be able to attend my reiki circle last night. It's been a few months since I've been able to get there & it was like getting my spiritual checkup. I was even luckier to be able to follow it up with acupuncture 1st thing this morning, right before work. Today is the last day in my work week & I'm out early at 2pm. I'm ready to slide into a relaxing evening/weekend.
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