An Attitude of Gratitude

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

This is kind of a follow up from last week – less about food, but follow to the end for the FOOD part, and more about life in general.

Simple Abundance

Several years ago while watching Oprah and feeling sorry for myself, because I only ever watched Oprah when I was feeling sorry for myself, I saw a woman named Sarah Ban Breathnach. She talked about feeling gratitude for simple things and creating a Gratitude Journal.  She even has a book (of which I have a copy) called Simple Abundance to teach you how. (Moment of Truth – I have tried several times to get through this book for more than 10 years, and I fail each time, but it doesn’t stop me from trying anew each year.) So I began a life of gratitude that week.

Flash forward to December 10th of 2013. I was contacted by a cancer survivor, Heather. She is a SURVIVOR of a rare type of cancer, mesothelioma (read her story HERE). She asked me to participate in a personal project for the blogosphere that she was working on.  She asked me to share in my blog what I was grateful for. Ok!  Cool Project, I am IN! My first thought was, “I am pretty good at this gratitude thing. I have been working on a gratitude journal on and off for years now. This should be easy.” I know that my life is better when I focus on the gratitude. Hell, each week a group of friends and I share what we are grateful for on Mondays through a private Facebook message.  We call it the “Monday Gratefuls”.  Easy right?  Oh REALLY…and then I got to thinking, about the past no less. Yes, dangerous, I know.

CS Lewis

But I had to learn about gratitude. I grew up in a perpetual state of want.  I always wanted more than what was available to me, on every level. I grew up in a small rural town after having lived on Long Island.  I wanted to move back there. I wanted to leave the country life, I hated it (and still do). I wanted new clothes, not hand me downs. I wanted not to have to grow my own food. I wanted SO MUCH. ALL THE TIME. I didn’t know about gratitude, because all I could feel was want. My life is VERY different now. My childhood was ROUGH, with abuse at the forefront. But guess what? I lived through it and I am stronger and more capable because of (or maybe in spite of) all that happened to me. I am amazing now. I have been rebuilt. I had the technology. I am better, stronger, faster (bonus points for you if you know where I paraphrased from).

So here, for Heather and for everyone reading this, a list of 10 things I am grateful for EVERY day:

  1. Supportive friends, family and chosen family.
  2. My husband of 26 years who loves me because of AND in spite of myself. He encourages me to be my best self.
  3. My grown ass son is healthy.
  4. A full pantry because that was not always the case.
  5. A skill set culled from a shitty childhood that allows me to do things others find impossible. (And according to my son would help me survive the Zombie Apocalypse.)
  6. My itinerant 21 year life as an Air Force wife. 13 moves in 21 years introduces you to a TON of people and helps you learn new things, whether you want to be taught or not.  See #1 –many of the friends came via this experience.
  7. Teachers who instilled in me a love of knowledge for the sake of just KNOWING things (I am a fount of useless information now).
  8. Travel and the experiences it affords me.
  9. Strength – of mind, body and spirit.
  10. Facebook – yes really.  It has allowed me to reconnect with people I thought long gone from my life.  And I get to see pics of my nieces and nephews all the time!
My Grand Niece Grace - apparently my love of shoes is genetic.
My Grand Niece Grace – apparently my love of shoes is genetic.

So be grateful for who you are and what you have.  What are YOU grateful for?  Share in the comments, I’d really like to know!

On another note of Gratitude, I am grateful to have the scratch to participate in Chefs to the Max to benefit food writer Max Jacobson who was hit by a car while crossing the street 2 days before Xmas.  he remains in critical condition.  To learn more, click on the links.  The first event is Sunday January 19th at RX Boiler Room at Mandalay Bay.  There are about 30 tickets remaining for this star studded culinary event (Of course I will post pics!) and if you are in Vegas and can attend, you should!  A fish throwdown with Bobby Flay and Rick Moonen?  Yes, really!

And CHEERS to Heather and her recovery and survivor-ship! Many long and happy years to you!