A lot of us in the U.S. will be making plans this month to get together with friends and loved ones to celebrate Thanksgiving. In the spirit of gratitude I wanted to share some things that rekindle warmth and love in my heart with the hope it will do the same for you.

They come in a story I wrote a couple of years ago that included a poem from hubby and end with a moving and inspiring video by Louis Schwartzberg on “Gratitude.”
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The Little Things
What is one thing that you still remember to this day that warms your heart and puts a smile on your face? I’ll bet it was something spontaneous and incidental but you still remember it as if it was just yesterday….where you were, who was with you, the sounds and smells.
It’s not anything big – you tune into the little things. It may be a twinkle in the eyes of a loved one as they tell you some exciting news or read something to you that inspired them.
My husband wrote a poem years ago that is one of those special little things that means a lot to me. I have it hanging on the wall.
He was taking some classes in college at the time and not long before we had left our roots in Toledo and Cape Charles, VA and headed west.
It was 1969 and our trek was similar to a modern-day wagon train except we were in our Volvo station wagon with 2 dogs pulling a U-Haul. We had no jobs and knew no one in Denver and no clue where we were going to stay. You wonder whether we were adventurous or ….. better not say.
It turned out to be adventurous as we have lived in Colorado now for 39 years and have more stories to tell of those times. But for now I’ll share the poem he wrote:

When, in a distant place by the sea
And I was young and free and alone
I searched for a special someone
To walk beside, someone I didn’t know
And you were there.
Later, when we left the sea
And came to the mountains
The vastness of this new place
Filled me with fear
But you were there.
I roamed from job to job
From trouble to trouble
Searching for something from within and without.
Yet never quite finding and feeling the doubt
You were there.
And now in this time of finding
This time of happiness and joy
This time of reaching and growing
This time especially for sharing
You are there.
Used By Permission – © Jim Ruppel
It’s the little things that make life worth living. All over the world little things are happening this moment. People are giving and sharing. The sun is shining and the streams are flowing. There is good all around in just taking notice. We don’t have to do extravagant things and make a big noise to touch someone’s heart. It’s the little gestures and kind words – the little things that mean so much.
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Do you have some special moments, those little things, you’d like to share? Can you remember a special time when your heart was filled with love and gratitude?
These are the times when life is so worth living and truly fulfilling. They can take your breath away and leave you with a sense of awe as shown in the video below by Louis Schwartzberg in “Gratitude.”
Not only this holiday, but every day, I wish you happiness, peace and a sense of wonder. May you be blessed in all that you do and surrounded with loving friends and family.
Thank you, Susan, for allowing me to share my stories with your readers.
Life’s journey continues with Pat from the ‘ol kitchen table — for more stories from Pat go to Plain Talk and Ordinary Wisdom and check out “You Were There.”
If enjoyed “Little Things,” check out Gently Falling Leaves, Mom & A Thanksgiving Turkey and The House By The Side Of The Road.
