Each evening as the day wears down, I sit and reflect on the events of the day and then write in my gratitude journal things I am grateful for. Sometimes the list is long and other times it may be only a few items. Always at the top of the list are my God, my family, my country, and my health, but many days there are things added that seem trivial, maybe even silly. I recently went to a museum that was full to overflowing with antique items and took this picture. Reflecting on just this one picture, I realized how much I have to be grateful for and that nothing is too trivial to write down. On this day I was grateful for . . .
Rarely do we give modern conveniences a second thought, unless they break or we're out of them! Seeing how those in past generations lived and what they had, makes me grateful I live in this century, in this place, and have what I have.
electric stove,
butter in a tub or stick,
butter in a tub or stick,
vacuum cleaner,
washing machine,
dryer,
ready made clothes,
sweet smelling soap,
and a large bathtub.
dryer,
ready made clothes,
sweet smelling soap,
and a large bathtub.
* * * * *
This is a day late, but i'm linking with Scene & Story hosted
Join us each month as we choose a photo and tell a story.
This is a super photo Cathy and your story is a great reminder to all of us. Last winter our furnace was down for a few days and it really made us think about the many things we are grateful for, the prime one is that we live now instead of in the past. Whenever we see a story or movie about the past my husband always says 'maybe those were the good old days' - lol. thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSo true, now we don't know what to do if our mobile device goes down. We are accessible anywhere we go, which I don't really consider a good thing. We lived for days without power when I was a kid, we had a wood stove, a bucket to flush the toilet and candles. Now I can hardly stand it if it goes out for a few hours every couple of years. We have so much we need to be grateful for.
ReplyDeleteYour post reminds me of the suffering and hardship that so many are going through due to hurricane damage. It's something I can hardly wrap my head around. This image of all those items that once were the "staples" of domestic life might have made me nostalgic once upon a time, but not so much now! I admire their usefulness but I'm grateful for the modern conveniences we enjoy, as you stated so well here.
ReplyDeleteLove that you keep a gratitude journal. I also do that and it is such a grounding thing for me, and really helps me keep my head in the right place. There are always so many things in our lives to be grateful for, whether they are large or small.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great shot of all these things from the past, Cathy. It seems amazing that our ancestors used such tiring, back-breaking methods, not to speak of those corrugated boards for washing clothes.
ReplyDeleteIt is so good to feel grateful for all the things we have now and writing that down makes us appreciate our lives exactly the way they are. We are so lucky and sometimes don't remember that.
Museums that show how people lived in the "good old days" always make me feel nostalgic, even while I am grateful for the conveniences that make my life so comfortable today. I think it's the idea of simpler, quieter times, and perhaps a longing for old-fashioned values of hearth and home and family. I'm sure there was nothing romantic at all about cooking on a wood stove and doing laundry on a washboard, and I'm thankful that I don't have to. But I still long for those other, intangible things.
ReplyDeleteGratitude never fails to elevate. I love the collection in the photo, especially the printed fabrics. They remind me of Grandma's apron. :)
ReplyDeleteGratitude for the smallest things often elevates them from the ordinary to the extraordinary. I like the old time items in your photo, Cathy. I'm so old, I remember using some of them when I was a kid!
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting the comment. We are very blessed in the country we live in. Also the time period we live in special. Just wish things went a little slower.
ReplyDeletethis picture is really gorgeous...everything is beautifully placed. you are right, we are not as grateful as we should be, for all the modern convinces we have. gratitude - it is such a wonderful emotion to have. i often say, i am so lucky to have this beautiful and dirty home to clean (of course, my words when i don't feel like cleaning)!!!!!
ReplyDeleteYes, we do all have so very much to be grateful for. I kept a gratitude journal for a while and need to get back to it. It is lovely to look back through the pages and find that even the smallest of things can bring us joy :)
ReplyDelete