Activity 3: "Three Blessings" & Activity 5: "The Gratitude Letter and Visit"

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Submitted by Jill Story on Sat, 02/16/2008 - 11:21am.

 

Three Blessings

 Any thing that makes one happy or content. 

Write down what happened and why each happened.

 

February 4, 2008, Monday

  1. Completed diversion training, I am doing an Independent Learning Contract as well as a volunteer. So, I needed to complete training.
  2. Received a nice sympathy card from my co-workers, my grandfather passed away.
  3. Work went well. We have a new office, part circumstantial as we have discussed in class.
 

February 5, 2008

  1. Completed a writing assignment. Constantly busy with work and school, so it always brings happiness to complete an assignment.
  2. Had a healthy and safe day, we often take for granted that we are healthy, and that things went safely. Live each day to its fullest and enjoy what each day brings.
  3. Made a safety plan at work. Safety coordinator for our building.
 

February 6, 2008

  1. My dad called just to check in. We typically talk to one another every Sunday night, just to check in. But, because of my grandfather’s funeral last week and my busy schedule he touched base with me on Wednesday.
  2. I worked on homework. A common occurrence everyday, which makes me happy when I have the time to do it.
  3. Hung out with roommate. She came home from dinner with friends and we just sat around and enjoyed one another’s company.
 

February 7, 2008

  1. Worked out. I haven’t had a lot of time to fit this into my schedule…so I just did it!
  2. Relaxed. Haven’t just sat around for a while, so I thought it would be really nice to just sit down in my big green chair in the living room and watch Survivor. Which I haven’t done in three seasons.
  3. Feel blessed with family and friends. Went to bed and thought about how blessed I am to have such great family and friends.
 

February 8, 2008

  1. Worked out. Again, I came home from work and decided to just do it!
  2. Made cookies. I have wanted to make molasses cookies for a long time. So, I just made the time to bake them. Sometimes you just need to do the things you love and forgo some of the other things that need to be done.
  3. It’s Friday. I can’t remember the last time I slept in…probably months. I get up everyday at 6. It sure would be nice to just sleep in
 

February 9, 2008

  1. Slept in until 9 a.m. Oh my gosh. I must have needed it. How nice.
  2. Did a lot of homework Sat down at my p.c. and just plugged away at my home work.
  3. Worked out again!
 

February 10, 2008

  1. Lounged around reading The Resilience Factor
  2. Went shopping. The weekend is here and I needed a few items to get me through the week.
  3. Watched a little TV. Because I haven’t really watched a lot of television since the start to school in the fall of 2003. I don’t take it for granted and cherish the times that I can watch a program.
  

Doing this exercise right before I went to sleep was a great activity that I will continue to do. I enjoyed thinking about all the things that I am grateful for during the day. Although I found it hard, because some of these things I am grateful for are so simple, and almost seem trivial. But, I think that I often take for granted the wonderful things that happen in my life and don’t take the time to notice them as much as I should.

 

Every night I would think about one of my blessings before I fell asleep, but I wasn’t able to dream about any of them. I will continue to think about my blessings and see if I am able to dream about any of them.

 

 

Gratitude Letter and Visit 

In April 1993, I turned 25. I felt like I was in such a great place, successful and full of life, except there was one thing missing.  

I was given up for adoption at birth and all my life I wondered who my parents were and what they did. I wondered if I had any siblings. Does someone else out there like sports and have similarities? Wherever I went; the mall or even in the classroom I would gaze at people and wonder if they could be my mom or dad, or a sibling.

 

Well, in July of 1993. I located my biological parents. The reunion happened to be very successful. My dad and I have become very close. So I chose to write to my biological father.

 

 

Dad,

 

Thanks for opening your world to me. When I began looking for you I was ready for what ever decision you made. I was prepared. I knew that you could accept or reject me.

 

I want you to know what you have given me. You are such a gift. Your acceptance, love, approval, and appreciation has made me complete. You opened your heart and allowed me in. Your family accepted me, one by one. I became a part of the family.

 

I am truly blessed. I just want you to know that each day I feel so lucky to have found you. I am complete.

 

Love, Jill

  

 

 

I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to share this with my father…but, when my grandfather passed away on January 26, and I took an emergency flight out of town, I was given this opportunity.

 

I explained to my dad and his wife about the gratitude letter. I read to him what I have written. The letter brought tears of joy and happiness to the all of us. My gratitude for my dad and family has been known but never spoken. One night not long ago at dinner my stepmom said to me, “I wished that we would have raised you.” We all sat with tears in our eyes. I told them that it is “okay, I’m just thankful that I have them in my life now.”

  

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response to letter and blessings
Submitted by susan w on Sat, 02/16/2008 - 3:42pm.

Susan L. Wagaman

Jill, I felt the same after the blessings activity.  It really made me think about how easy it is to overlook the good things that happen each day.  It was good to have to write them down because for me, that made me really think about the blessings I had. 

Your gratitude letter sounds like it turned out very well.  How great to be able to find your Dad and thank him.   

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