When I checked in this afternoon and looked at the sidebar of the recent blog posts, I knew that something had happened that had reverberated throughout the dog blogs. Dear Penny had gone to the Rainbow Bridge. And while I had never met Penny and had not followed her blog for too long, I always associated her with her beloved whipped cream. Even at a very sad time, the thought of Penny and her whipped creamed face made me smile. And just in case I was feeling too sad, my friend Mary Anne Kirwan had posted a status update at Facebook that spoke to me. It's the Gratitude Project. I had heard of it quite a while ago, but her reminder had me quickly Googling it. And here's what it said:
In January 2009 we set out on a creative adventure, vowing to look for and record the everyday blessing in our lives. We were hopeful that the experts would be right..that focusing on the good things that surround us would make us happier, reduce our level of stress, and allow us to cope better when difficulties arose. Those of us who participated found those benefits and many more we didn't expect. We learned about one another, and more importantly, we learned about ourselves. And in the process, we made great friends and created an album of our blessings we are sure to treasure for years to come.So why not in this very sad time among the dog blogs remember our blessings, remember the good things in life, remember that even though there is sadness, there is also joy. I decided to follow the lead of my friend Kir and for 30 days list three things for which I am grateful. Won't you join me?
Day One: 1. A beautiful blue sky sunshine day. 2. Great online friends and getting to meet some in person. 3. My soft comfy blue microfiber down alternative blankie on the couch.