FormerDoormat

Today was my day off, so my sister, daughter, and I decided to spend the day taking care of ourselves. We met at a favorite antique store and browsed for a few hours. I picked up a brightly colored enamel tea pot from Holland to add to my enamelware collection and my sister picked up some vintage linens. When we came downstairs to pay for our purchases, the sales woman said, "You ladies are certainly enjoying your day, I could hear you laughing all the way down here." (We were trying on vintage hats and clothing and having a grand time laughing at how silly we looked.)

Afterwards, we grabbed a bite to eat at a little sandwich shop and we sat and chatted for quite a while. I haven't seen my sister so relaxed and happy in a long time. Next, we strolled down to the bookstore and picked up some new books. I shared my new favorites with my sister: Melody Beatty's CoDependent No More and the Language of Letting Go, and Geneen Roth's When Food is Love.

She shared one of her favorites with me: Simple Abundance--A Daybook of Comfort and Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach. It's much like Melody Beatty's book, The Language of Letting Go, in that it's a collection of daily meditations--an inner journey that helps us learn how to take care of ourselves, embrace life and live "gently," let go of limiting illusions and live a life of truth, make daily "gratitude lists" to help us realize what's good in our lives, learn how to embrace simplicity, cultivate contentment, achieve balance in our lives, open our eyes to the beauty that surrounds us, find happiness within ourselves, and achieve serenity.

My sister said, "this is my gift to you." What a nice gift. What a nice day. How lucky am I to have such a wonderful sister and such a wonderful daughter? And how lucky am I to have spent the day with two of the most precious people in the world to me?

So today, I'm starting my gratitude list with:

I'm grateful to my friends at SR who helped me embark on this journey
I'm grateful I had a wonderful day with my sister and daughter
I'm grateful that I received a wonderful gift
I'm grateful that I've found Simple Abundance

Today, I'd like to share that with you. The next time you're browing the bookstore, pick up a copy Simple Abundance and begin a journey that's all about YOU. It's about time we all started taking care of ourselves. Why not start today?

equus

I've had the same best mate for 23 years! When we get a day off together it's heaven and definately feels abundant.

You just reminded me I go swimming with her tonight. An hour of giggling, chatting and of course a bit of swimming....

Gabe

"Simple Abundance" was one of my first recovery books. There are great reminders in it that each day is a gift, full of possibilities.

cwohio

fd - thanks for sharing about your wonderful experience and the "Simple Abundance" book. I still have some leftover gift card $$ to spend - guess where i will spend it??