Author: ferylfiles

I remember an elderly fellow I met when I was in college at Ohio University. He said “the most interesting people I know still don’t know what they want to be when they grow up.” That sentiment has always heartened me because I’m not one to equate a job with my life’s work. I envy the folks for whom that venn diagram is an overlapping circle. My Dad was like that. Helping people walk again, giving them a new lease on life, repairing injuries, healing–this was both his job and his work and he was very good at it. My kiddo has found that place where her job and her work at the library are one and she too is excellent at it.

I think that’s a special kind of magic, but I don’t think folks who don’t have that should be disheartened. Sometimes jobs are what help us afford to do our work and that’s nothing to be ashamed or upset by. And sometimes there can be some overlap with our jobs and our work, even if it’s not 100%. For those who are retired, their jobs might have ended, but the work does not.

I’m not sure if any of you have taken personality quizzes. There are many different kinds and I consistently get labeled “an idealist.” Being a creative and a dreamer and an idealist makes navigating this world exceptionally challenging because it falls so very short. But the upside, there’s no end to the work. Ha! I’m grateful for the work that calls me to imagine and create, to welcome and comfort.

When you sit down to think about it, what is the work that calls your soul?

I saw a cute meme that said: “I’m not outdoorsy. I’m more outsidesy.” That’s pretty apt for me, too. I love my walks at Mill Creek and Bennington. Day hike? Sign me up. A weeklong backpacking trip? I’m probably not your huckleberry. Ooh, huckleberry picking? For sure. I like to go to nature and then come home. But I think that’s where we get things off a bit…nature is all around us and we superimpose notions of civilization on top. Fires, flood, hurricanes, earthquakes are all reminders that nature bats last and some healthy respect is definitely due.

I am grateful for nature as a teacher, a therapist, a reminder of just how magical and fragile life on this planet is. Today, I saw leaves of various vibrant hues, water fowl, and listen to the sound of running water. Whether it’s the experiences here in my stomping grounds or at the coast, the Columbia gorge, or any of our gorgeous mountains, I’m so thankful for the variety and beauty of what this pocket of the world showcases.

Oh man, I’m so tired and don’t feel like I can adequately address this one or begin to do it justice.

I am so grateful for my friends because they love me and extend a lot of grace–neither of which I deserve, but I readily accept. They’re funny, smart, kind, loving people. They remind me of who I am and want to be.

And friendship isn’t always the warm fuzzies. Sometimes it’s a tough conversation. Sometimes it’s no talking at all just presence. Sometimes it’s laughter until it aches. Friendship is burdens shared and joy multiplied.

I think of the people who keep showing up both figuratively and literally and how damned lucky I am.

Small, incremental change, growth on a less grand scale; this is what I’m grateful for. Yes there are the big cataclysmic things that happen that force us to grow or perish. And yeah, those are important, too, but it’s my gratitude blog and I’ll celebrate the growth I like best. That would be baby steps, Bob!

Little changes add up. Growth and developement isn’t always leaps and bounds and for that I’m thankful. The accumulation of itty bittty changes can be transformative. I am thankful for when that happens. Growth isn’t always pretty and sometimes it’s painful. Growth, however, keeps us from stagnating which becomes an even worse outcome.