04 November 2016

Saying Thank You

Today for Gratitude Week, Michelle wants us to say "Thank You."
 

I don't think it's a difficult thing to say most of the time.  I probably thank people a hundred times a day - for holding a door, emptying the trash in my office, and so many other things.  To be honest, I try to remember to say it sincerely, but sometimes it's a rote thing.  But I tell myself that at least I *do* say it.

One of my favorite plays in the world is "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder.  And the part that always puts me over the top emotionally is the scene where the young girl who has died gets the chance to see one ordinary day in her life again.  And she watches as everyone goes about their routines, fixing meals, going to work and school, asking where something is - the minutiae of everyday existence.  And all she can say is "Why aren't we LOOKING at each other?"  And every time I read that line (which I have paraphrased but you get the gist), it hits me right in the gut.  Because it's true.  We spend so much time talking and questioning and hurrying, and everything else that we don't look to see what we have.  

This is not a criticism.  It's just a truth.  And we all do it, most of the time unconsciously.  Wilder says, "We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures."  Life, work, the world, so many other things just grab our attention all of the time.  But when we are suddenly forced to stop and look/think/feel about what we have, is generally almost always what can make us feel better.  At least, it does that for me.

For all of the awful, sad, unfortunate things that have happened in my life, I have a weird gratitude because all of them made me realize how lucky I am.  And sometimes you need a kick in the pants for your heart to become "conscious of your treasures."

But anyway, I digress.  The people I wanted to say Thank You to are those of you reading this.  Because you are here, you are reading and sometimes commenting, and though I appreciate it more than I can say, I seldom think to say Thank You.  

I started this blog - and have kept writing it - mostly for myself, and partly because at the beginning I wanted to sign up for a Ravelry swap and you had to have a blog to participate.  Back then, there were a lot of people who read and commented who were friends of mine in real life, not in cyberspace, and who by now have stopped blogging altogether, or have moved on to other ways of participating in the fiber world.  So for a while, I was just writing this for myself.

And then all of you showed up and I had a new bunch of friends.  People who were just out there and who I didn't necessarily know otherwise.  And you had nice things to say, or answers to questions, or you sympathized or laughed at one of my lame jokes.  I would read your blogs and find out about what made you tick as well.

Basically, you save my life every day.  Because you show up and let me know that even if I'm lonely, I'm not alone.  Even if I'm sad, it's OK.  No one gets irritated if I rant (or if you do, you just move on and don't lecture me about it!).  We can laugh about the same stupid, funny, or just unfortunate things.  You answer questions without being preachy or condescending.  And you don't complain about my crummy photography skills.

That's just for starters, by the way.

THANK YOU.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

13 comments:

Vera said...

So well put Bridget. And Merci beaucoup to you as well. Glad I found your little spot of blogdom.

kathy b said...

Bridget

What an amazing post. This blog community is far reaching and impactful. YOu guys are always making me smile. I thank you. I have to watch OUR TOWN now. I never have . It speaks to me. The ordinary is extraordinary.....and I sometimes think we all have to do BIG things to have meaningful lives. But we dont. Living an ordinary loving simple life is what we are here for. Keeping your nose so to speak, never stating a lie, not cheating on anyone or any thing. Not too many people can do that or perhaps they do because we don't hear about these true heroes.
Your thank you's make a difference.
Our blogs are safe loving places.
Thank YOU !!!! I love our blog friendship .

Araignee said...

Our Town is so hauntingly beautiful. This time of year I think of it often along with Spoon River Anthology. For some reason, life seems so fragile in the fall.

andrea said...

you're the best, B

sprite said...

I'm so grateful for all the bloggers who still show up on a regular basis to share slivers of their lives with me. It's a kindness I treasure. So thank you for being one of those people (and for all the book reviews over the years!).

Bonny said...

You've said this so very well! I know I've gained much from reading your blog, and I appreciate your viewpoints, humor, and sharing. The real world would be a much better place if it did things the way they're done on knitting blogs. We share, learn about each other, are exposed to different opinions, and treat each other with respect and care. You've made The Ravell'd Sleave a wonderful place to find those things.

steph said...

what a lovely lovely post!

We have a new preacher at church....and last Sunday she started her sermon with...'when you get up in the morning, remind yourself that you are going to die.' And went on to preach about living in the moment, taking care to notice people and things, distribute your treasures and gifts carefully and conscientiously and generously.

hoping you have the best weekend!!!

xo

Anonymous said...

Great post!

One of my favorite plays is Our Town. Such a great story.

Blogging ------I LOVE reading them. I love when people take the time to read and comment on mine. I'm sad for so many blog that I loved no longer being updated. I feel like I have lost friends. :-(

But ...........I'm thankful for those that are still there. Those that make me laugh AND those that make me think.

Lydia said...

Yes, a great reminder to sincerely say Thank you.

Kym said...

I feel the same way, Bridget! When I first started blogging, I had NO IDEA that I would "meet" such wondering and caring people -- who I now consider good friends. It's a pretty amazing thing, actually. Thank YOU for your post -- for putting this "blog thing" into words and expressing it all so beautifully.
XO

Lorraine said...

Bridget- And that's a good way to put it- I love my blogbuddies!

Mereknits said...

Great post today Bridget, you said it all perfectly.

Nance said...

I'm always so thrilled when someone uses Classic Literature to illustrate a point. (Once an English Teacher, always an English Teacher.)

I started my blog because, as a Creative Writing teacher, I wanted to practice what I preached: that writers write. Eleven years later, I'm still at it, and astonishingly, some of my original readers/commenters are still with me.

Like you, I'm grateful for the sense of community writing a blog creates. It's empowering and humbling at the same time.

Thanks for writing this. It was such a pleasure to read.