Gratitude For The Simple Joy of Being

Grateful for this moment, for the calm, for the beauty of simply being here.

In a world that often feels like it’s rushing by, it’s easy to overlook the quiet gift of simply existing. But when we pause, even for a moment, and let ourselves breathe in the present, we open our hearts to gratitude. There’s a gentle bliss in knowing that, right here, right now, we have enough.

Gratitude isn’t about waiting for extraordinary things to happen; it’s about recognizing the beauty in everyday moments. The warmth of the morning sun, the sound of leaves rustling, the comfort of a familiar smile—these simple things remind us of the richness of our lives.

When we focus on these small blessings, we find that gratitude transforms our outlook. It invites peace into our minds and reminds us that life’s greatest joys often come quietly. Embracing this gratitude lets us live with a softer, fuller heart, appreciating the magic of simply being.

A pocketful of sunshine and 

In Hindsight...

Image by Broquart Photography

It has been a beautiful life...

TRULY BEAUTIFUL!

It's not all about wealth.

It's not about what you have.

It's not about the size of your house.

Or the brand of your car.

It's not about the beautiful things you own.

It's not about your title or 

the brand of your clothes, bags and shoes.

Life is all about finding

PEACE OF MIND...

Learning to love unconditionally...

Giving without expecting anything in return...

Life is about finding your worth

and knowing you are ENOUGH...

Life is about the relationships you have formed,

the lives you have touched...

Life is about being content with what you have

and finding happiness in what you do...

Life is about KNOWING that you love what you do

and that you are where your heart is...

Life is about learning the lessons 

that each heartbreak taught you...

Life is about the people around you 

and knowing that you have served them well...

Life is about making the people you love HAPPY that you are in their lives...

Life is all about Faith, Hope, Strength, Courage and Wisdom...

It's all about Love... Contentment... Peace...

Life is finding meaning and making a difference in your own little way...

Life is all about Living and Loving and Coping...

Life is PERFECT the way things are...

And that is why LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL!

☀️☀️☀️

Thank you, Lord, for everything. 

A pocketful of sunshine to you all! 

Of Time and Pain... and Gratitude (A Birthday Reflection)

I once dreamed of a sweet and gentle life

Where bliss greeted me at the door

And soft rose petals covered my bed...

But dreams are just dreams

And reality brings more pain

Than one can ever imagine...

Sheltered all my life

I thought it would all be easy

After all, up until then, life was a breeze...

Imagine my surprise

When the life I knew was suddenly interrupted

By people who thought they knew better...

Not only was there pain but shame as well

The crowd that used to surround us

Slowly dissipated into thin air...

Thank God for family and TRUE friends

It took one misfortune to unmask these faces

I wouldn't have survived without them...

Then you get to realize that

There is no such thing as an easy life

Everyone has an ordeal to tell...

Mine is a story of LOST love, life and hope

Until I decided to take the reins again

And stand up on my own...

Mine is a story of independence and liberation

Not of war but of love for life

A quest for deeper meaning of my existence...

You see, seven years ago

I would have perished with James

And my three kids would have been orphaned...

But no, God had other plans

These kids are my mission

They are meant for greater things...

And I am here to guide and lead them

To the paths that the good Lord

Has paved for them...

God has been good to us

And I feel blessed to have everything we need

Enough lessons to teach us gratitude...

Now whenever I hear my kids say "thank you"

For every little nice thing done to them

I thank God for life lessons that were not wasted...

(Re-posted from A Birthday Reflection)

© Bing Yap [PinkLady] 2012

All Rights Reserved

Linked to The Poetry Pantry #120 
and dVerse Poets Pub Poetics: It's About Time

The 6th Year

i leave all pain and tears behind

as i walk towards the rising sun

confidently i take my stride

knowing all is well and fine

lessons learned by heart

regrets, i have none

expect, i'd rather not

with acceptance i shall

embrace life as it is

i am stronger...

i am better...

i am me...

© Bing (PinkLady) 2011
Posted for Poetry Potluck: Rules, Regulations and Laws...

Yesterday marked the 6th year anniversary of James' disappearance. My children and I honored him through a Catholic mass offered in his memory. For the first time since 2005, I did not go through any melancholic episode. Instead, my heart was filled with gratitude for having been part of James' short-lived existence and for my own resilience. I felt the blessedness of life itself as my 3 kids wrapped their arms around me. Tears rolled down my face not because I felt sorry for myself but because I was truly THANKFUL for the way things turned out.

If you have lived, take thankfully the past.

~John Dryden

 

It has been a long blogging hiatus for me here and  I was pleasantly surprised to read:

Review Tuesdays - OF LIVING AND LOVING

which was  written by esteemed poet Someone is Special at Jingle Poetry. SiS, your kind words really touched my heart and I thank you for that.  In reply to your article, let me quote an old comment I posted here also in reply to a fellow blogger's encouraging words, to  wit:

"I started this blog with the hope of inspiring others and helping them deal with the overwhelming aftermath of a sudden loss or tragedy in the family. I love to write. I went through my grief process by writing in my journal every single emotion that I felt and every single milestone in my journey towards healing. I didn't get here easily, you know. Believe me, I had all kinds of criticisms for staying so long in my grief. But taking my time to heal was all worth it. Grief is a normal and natural response to any loss. Have no fear and let it run free. It is OK not to feel OK. Express it and then release it.

I created this blog to share the light I have seen at the end of the tunnel with everyone who is in the same journey. The comments I have received from all of you validated that I have somehow achieved my purpose."

SiS, although I would have easily chosen pink as my background color because of my pseudonym, I instead opted for red as I felt that, at this stage of my life, this color defines me more now - i.e., intense, fearless, enthusiastic and passionate about life.

I was an accidental, albeit reluctant, poet, mind you. Ji (Jingle, as she is commonly known) was the one  who prodded me to take poetry seriously and join her Thursday Poets' Rally.  For that, I am most grateful to her. . 

I would  also like to thank everyone in Jingle's community who voted for me for The Celebrate Poet of 2010 Award.

Image courtesy: Link

Musical Monday... What Moves You?

I just got back from my two-weeks-break and my heart is so full of love and gratitude right now. This song says it all...

Thanks To You by Tyler Collins

Thank you...
For teaching me how to live
Putting things in perspective
Teaching me how to give
And how to take...

Thanks to you!

Posted for Musical Monday... What Moves You?

Rejoice (Haiku)

friends who stand by us

through fair and stormy weather

one of life's pleasures

♥♥♥

love from family

pure and unconditional

God's greatest blessing

♥♥♥

sunshine in your heart

amidst an overcast sky

keep your light glowing

© Bing (PinkLady) 2010

 ♥♥♥

Friends
by Amii Stewart and Mike Francis

(1984)

Posted for Haiku Heights and The Poetry Pantry
Image from Leonid Afremov's Gallery

Music ~ Food For Your Soul

Here's a feel-good song that will surely brighten up your Monday! 

This is just what I need right now...

Sunshine In Her Ravaged Soul

 

 She lay on the bed, her eyes closed as if sleeping

I didn't mean to wake her 

But when she heard my voice

She forced a smile as if to reassure me

That she was okay.

I was there to visit her

But she was first to ask how I was doing

I meant to ask but she carried on

And I ended up blabbering

About my new job and my new life.

She gave a hearty laugh at my jokes

She was her usual bubbly self

We talked about her treatment

And how she is looking forward to next month

When we need to fulfill our work commitment

She apologized that she cannot join us

You see, we have an important meeting tomorrow

I assured her that we, her friends, will take care of it

She smiled and showed contentment

Then excitedly discussed again our forthcoming assignment.

I went there with a heavy heart

Scared, knowing how cancer has ravaged her delicate body

She has fought well and is fighting still

Every time I see her she speaks with pride

About all the new medications she has tried.

It's radiation this time, she said

You see, lesions were found on her spine

She finds it funny how she always took her legs for granted

Realizing her folly only after

Her limbs went numb.

I blew her a kiss before I left  

And she blew one back at me

Upon seeing this exchange

Her mom beamed with pride

In her heart, she knows her child will be alright

I couldn't help but smile 

The visit was not what I expected it to be

She left no room for pity

She is embracing all of life

Or what remains of it

She is like the sun 

Whose rays brightly glow

Amidst the dark clouds

That try to hide its glory

Truly a sight to behold

The Champ's "Little" Secret

"Just trust me,

I will not leave you,
I will not abandon you."

A news article in the front page of the Philippine Daily Inquirer caught my eye today. It surely made me smile and warmed my heart.

Everyone knows who Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao is. He is the WORLD's pound-for-pound boxing king and has been recently named as "Boxer of the Decade" by Reuters News Agency (easily easing out Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s name from the title).

For the first time, he revealed the secret of his success -- he had a conversation with God who promised him "strength and power." He said that God once told him: "Just trust me, I will not leave you, I will not abandon you."

That promise was made to him long before he became a world champion. Yet he trusted, he believed, he held on to his faith.

A world champion attesting to God's goodness is something that is not common. Normally, a man of his stature would force on our throats his own greatness and the power that he wields. But this man of humble beginnings continue to acknowledge where all his blessings come from. Since the first time I saw him fight until the last title he won, he always offered to God his own little corner on the ring where he knelt before and after each bout to pray and thank Him.

People laughed at him when he was just starting, finding his behavior odd or too fanatical. Now people see it as a symbol of his unwavering faith- a reminder to everyone that God should be first in everything.

This is one man who has never forgotten where his success came from.... a man who continues to count his abundant blessings and not allowing them to get in his head... a man who acknowledges a greater power over and above his... a man whose unwavering faith should be emulated...

It all starts with gratitude... a grateful heart that counts every little positive thing that comes our way instead of dwelling on our frustrations.

Think of what we have and NOT of what we don't have...

Have a Great Christmas!

I Am Letting Go Of Worries

"There is nothing that wastes the body like worry,

and one who has any faith in God should be ashamed
to worry about anything whatsoever."
-Mahatma Gandhi-

I have wasted too many hours of too many days worrying about bills and bank account balances, time and deadlines, teenage kids, sleep, stress, work... about the future and life itself. But then I realized that worrying about whatever difficulty I faced never got me anywhere.

And so, I decided to unwind the nerves in my mind, took a deep breath and let it all go. I quietly reminded myself that everything will be okay. I also resolved that--

If I catch myself worrying again about something that doesn't matter, I will just STOP worrying about it.

If I catch myself worrying about something that DOES matter, I will stop worrying about it -- and START TRYING to fix it.

After all, I deserve a life where, even if some people are insensitive and unkind, I am not going to mind because the blessings in my life far, far outweigh the burdens.

I will never again let a single thing rain on my parade.

Think of what we have and NOT of what we don't have...

Have a Great Christmas!

Life's Magical Moments

The truly magical moments in life
are those special times that seem to happen
when we least expect them, but need them the most.
If you are willing to let positive things
randomly occur in your life,
unique situations will happen
precisely when the time is right.

Call it destiny... or fate...
or anything else you want to name it --
that's the magic I am talking about.
It's those "out of the blue" moments,
like falling helplessly in love
when you vowed never to again,
getting a second chance
when you've already had three,
or finding out someone cares about you
the way you care about them.

Life's magic is everywhere.
You just have to open your eyes a little wider
and take a closer look at the world around you.
Don't worry about where you have been.
Give your smile away to the people you meet
and watch your future unfold
filled with dreams of where you are going.


By: Deanna Beisser,
Author of "What Tomorrow Will Bring"

Think of what we have and NOT of what we don't have...

Have a Great Christmas!

Life's Little Pleasures

Life's magic is everywhere...
You just have to open your eyes a little wider
And take a closer look at the world around you.
Don't worry about where you have been.
Watch your future unfold
Filled with dreams of where you are going.
-Deanna Beisser-

As we were about to sleep one evening, 13-year-0ld Jazzy said "thank you, Ma." I asked what she was thanking me for. She replied: "For all the lessons you have taught us."

She then proceeded to tell me: "It used to break our hearts to see you crying every night. In fact, every night I prayed to God to please make you happy again. After that, I would thank Him endlessly on those evenings that I didn't see you cry. Isn't it that you taught us to be grateful for little things? But when you finally stopped crying, that was the best gift He gave to us and we couldn't thank Him enough."

10-year-old Jamie agreed and said: "That's true Mommy. We also cried whenever we saw you crying. But now we are happy because you are happy."

Jazmine added: "See, you taught us to be positive all the time... even on those times when there was no reason at all to be happy about."

I remember that dark period so well. It was then when I thought my family would never see the colors around us again. Everything was pitch black. There was total darkness. In fact, my kids' tears would flow every night as I forced them to recall what they had to be thankful for at the end of the day. I felt their pain because, like them, it was also impossible for me to see or think beyond my grief.

As our gratitude list started getting longer, we began to smile again.

Now these kids say "thank you" for the littlest favor, gesture or gift. A movie that made them feel good, a dinner treat at McDonald's (they know I already hate going there), a walk in the mall, a surprise shopping treat and other little pleasant surprises -- I always get a big hug and a "thank you."

But to be thanked for the lessons in life that they have learned from me... that is the best compliment I have ever received!


Blessings to all ,