Journal of Gratitude 2020

 

Thankful Journal 2020

Susan Olsen LeBlanc

Day 1 I am very grateful to have good medical providers. During the past two years I have worked with fourteen medical providers and have had more testing done than the average person. For the most part I have had wonderful care. Even with all the challenges they face every day they are very kind and compassionate.

 

Day 2 My family is so important to me. We all lead very different lives and we seem to see less of each other. I am so grateful to have the modern conveniences that allow us to talk by phone or Internet. We enjoy watching our children and grandchildren experience life. They are very good to us and have blessed our lives in so many ways.

 

Day 3 Today is my last of eight weeks of working with a diabetic coach. I did pretty well and learned some new tricks. I am grateful to move ahead. There are other classes that I want to take. I enjoy online learning. We have been blessed during this time to slow down and take advantage of opportunities that we were always so busy we could not find the time to do so. Hope election day goes well. We are very blessed to live in a country of diverse opinions. May we find peace in moving ahead. In 1972, the first year 18 year olds could vote, I did my Civic Duty. We were very happy to have this privilege.

 

Day 4 - I am thankful for the simple things in life. The cactus and orchid are amazing to watch. I enjoy sharing them with others. In our backyard the birds have once again discovered the bird feeders. The hummingbirds are back and an assortment of smaller birds. They love the flowers and several were using the bird bath this morning. I like to see the changing weather, rain, sunshine, clouds, and soon enough snow. Being at home more allows me to appreciate all of nature’s beauty while being warm and cozy indoors.

 

Day 5 - A few times I have gone out to run errands and have a break from staying home. This week Hannah was my special helper. We stopped at three homes and she made quick deliveries at the first two. For the last one we spotted the male missionaries from church and stopped to visit with them. It is challenging being a missionary without having Covid to contend with. Those out working are not sick, but are very careful. They are amazing young people, male or female. It delights them to provide service to people. They were happy to make our final delivery. I am so grateful for the amazing people who impact our lives in so many ways!

 

Day 6 - Life is so short. I feel I have cheated death several times, but in reality I have been blessed to live on after recovery. My prayer for peace is based on the privilege to have a prolonged life with family, friends and acquaintances. For those who have worried and fretted over the outcome of this election I pray for this peace. I do believe in someone higher than political candidates who has far more input in the activities of this world. I am more concerned for those who face daily challenges without this peace. May you find it and base your life from now on how you can change this life for the better. Every single day is priceless and I am grateful for every one!

 

Day 7 - What a full day. I did two genealogy meetings, one with a Virginia Special Interest Group and the other with a German Special Interest Group. SIGs have been happening for a long time at the Genealogical Forum of Oregon. Since spring they do meetings through ZOOM. They average anywhere from about ten to about thirty participants. I am very thankful to be able to spend time with other genealogists. The best part is they are free. One does need to request access, show up a few minutes early and let the show begin. Some have organized presentations and discussions and others are open dialogue chats. They happen at various times. The past few months I participated with about ten groups. It can be hard to choose when there are more than one at the same time. So, check them out. For those at GFO google them for their web page and then look at the calendar. Free is a very good deal!

 

Day 8 - is slowly drawing to a close. Veterans Day is this coming Wednesday. There are several people from our family who served in the military. My father served in the National Guard and many times during the year he would go off to do basic training. He had two heavy wood foot lockers that he would take with him. I am not even sure who has those today. At this time I am looking for more information on three of the brothers of his third great grandfather who served in the Revolutionary War. Two other brothers died in the war. This is a more complete history than what was compiled before. Each of the six brothers, and the one who was too young to serve, deserve to be honored for their service. I am grateful to be able to trace our ancestors and know what living in this country meant to them.

 

Day 9 - After two medical phone appointments, two calls from friends and one call from a daughter, I am so grateful for telephones and computers. I love being able to stay home and social distance from whatever virus is out there. This week I discovered that our ancestors who lived in Massachusetts in 1662/3 experienced a huge earthquake. There are a lot of opinions as to the size and severity of this earthquake, but it seems to be similar to the one I lived through in 1975 in Guatemala that was measured at 8.3. The three weeks following this quake I will never forget, but to live in that earlier time period when there was no immediate contact would be awful. We take so much for granted in our lives. One thing is sure in such an experience, people soon learn how little control they have over their personal lives. Being thankful for what we do have is key to survival.

 

Day 10 - I put away Halloween decorations and put out some of the Thanksgiving decorations. I am not into spooky things, but I do like the childlike wonder of the holidays. The weeks in between seem to pass so quickly and these days this is even more true. For November I enjoy looking at depictions of the Pilgrims, and other symbols of their lives. I ponder about what their lives were like. Were they really like how they are portrayed in drawings and other works of art? What was it like to step off a ship or small boat and know there was no going back? Did they have scary times when their lives were in peril? Most of our ancestors lived fairly long lives. What made their simple homes enjoyable and their families comfortable? I am grateful they were brave enough to come to New England. What do we really know about these ancestors?

 

Day 11 - I love the process of doing Family History work. When things seem to magically appear when they are needed most or least expected. In the past couple of years it seems when I have a question the answer comes. DNA is certainly a large part of the process. Yesterday a book I ordered came in the mail. I had already read a transcription of this small book, but now I have the original document to compare for myself. Getting to the heart of original records is essential. Then sometimes we have to dig hard to come to an understanding of what even one simple word means. At times this may happen when looking at another researchers work. I am so grateful for the ease of access to looking at original records.

 

Day 12 - Two more weeks until Thanksgiving and I am so looking forward to it. I look forward to delicious food, wonderful family time in person or on face time, checking in with my friends and some prayer time to ponder about others. It has been another year of challenges for us. We have been blessed in meeting those challenges in ways we never imagined. What we thought was so important just months ago has taken a major shift. As the weather gets colder let us think of people who may need an arm of support, a word of encouragement, or just a smile to acknowledge they are there. My friend shared the great song, "We Are the World," when we were both awake in the middle of the night. Be one of those people who looks for opportunities to share random acts of kindness. So let's start giving.

 

Day 13 - We made it through Friday the 13th and while I am not really superstitious, I feel it is a milestone. It has rained most of the day and the forecast for the coming days is lots more rain. On the mountains there is snow. I enjoy watching the weather. I went to the St. Helen's Library to pick up the latest book by Nathan Dylan Goodwin, “The Sterling Affair.” The library has been buying his books as soon as they are published. They are genealogy mysteries. This is my reward for steady work on the book. For the next few days I will become a Reading Zombie. I am grateful for the world of books. Once I finish the books and return them they become available for other readers to check them out. This is book eight of the series and it is the longest at 379 pages. If you need to take a break and tune up your research skills, I highly recommend these books.

 

Day 14 - happens to be my father's birthday. Roger Stanley Olsen was born in 1934 and died in 1988. At the age of 51 he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He fought admirably for two years. At the time we had four children and after he died we had two more. They really don't know much about him. Those that did know him, knew of his profound love for the grandchildren. Our mother naturally spent more time with them and lived to 2013, dying at the age of 78. I was not prepared to have them pass on. Such deep gratitude I have for every single day we spent together on this earth. I continue to feel their love in our lives. Our father was a one of a kind of person! We were privileged to have many wonderful experiences, but mostly we were blessed with a great family togetherness.

 

Day 15 - When I left to serve a mission in Guatemala from 1975 to 1977 I had no idea what a third world country would be like. The first thing that I learned is that most of the people are very humble. We served in pairs and lived with families which were not of our religious faith. Homesickness overcame me, but I was anxious to be out among the people. When the major earthquake hit that next February my entire life made a course correction. So many people died and the poor for the most part were left homeless. We slept on the street for three weeks. The family we lived with and fellow missionaries took very good care of us sisters. I am grateful for that experience. If I had the health of a young adult I would go again. We loved the people we worked with and they were very generous with us. Even if they could not afford food on their own plates they always fed us. Simple foods that included beans, rice, cheese, tortillas handmade, platanos, and fresh fruit of all kinds. Try serving food like that for Thanksgiving!

 

Day 16 - on this day I would like to thank those who volunteer in Genealogical and Historical Societies. We have some amazing museums in our towns, counties and state. They are struggling with meeting the needs of our communities. Donations and memberships are their bread and butter. They are usually very reasonably priced. Most of them are not open, but some are providing look up services to promote use of their collections. Some are providing chats, meetings and webinars, often for free. The larger ones often have Special Interest Groups where like-minded researchers can learn and share information for free. If you are looking for something to do while we stay close to home these long winter months check out these local places.  I am grateful for these volunteers who work hard to preserve the history of our communities. Our public libraries can direct you to local societies. They are also eager to assist you in researching your personal family history.

 

Day 17 - Today I worked long and hard on a very time consuming job of organizing copies of information from books. These books are priceless tools used to build a history of a family or several. I discovered in the process last night that if I would play Christmas music on my computer my whole attitude changes. The tempo of the music carries over to my general disposition. I know for some it may seem early for such music, but this year in particular we may need something to lift our spirits and spur us on into action. Tomorrow I am going to look for the recordings of my favorite songs from back when I had surgery ten years ago. Music can fill your soul. Turn it on, find a groove and be enveloped in music. I am grateful for musicians who share their talents. You tube has some great play lists!

 

Day 18 - On this day I am feeling very blessed for our family. All six of our children are unique. They have each found a wonderful path in their lives. We are also blessed with in laws who help to strengthen our ties. Then there are the six grandchildren. It is so gratifying to see what paths they are taking. This next week we will be doing face time on the Internet to give thanks for all the things that we have accomplished this past year. We will also remember those who have passed on. The best inheritance we all share comes through our combined family histories. Through doing DNA we have also discovered previously unknown relatives. These connections help us as we move forward with difficult challenges. Please make the best of the season to strengthen those ties.

 

Day 19 - My daughter suggested that 80 is very old. I said well in 14 more years I will be that old. She has no idea how quickly time is passing for us of the soon to be older generation. Because of health issues I seem to be entering this phase of my life more quickly than I can even imagine. Using a cane, walker and electric cart for shopping is nothing to be ashamed of. What I appreciate more than anything are those people who either offer some type of help or slow down to let me get where I need to at my own pace. People who do not even know me are so kind and thoughtful. My main goal is to stay mobile, on my own feet and not break any moving parts. If you struggle please know you are not alone. Be thankful and make the best of life with whatever challenges you have.

 

Day 20 - I love wildlife. Not really so much up close and personal, but certainly in pictures. The birds have flocked to our back yard looking for a winter treat. The hummingbirds are my favorites. My next favorites are the small birds. I love to see a matched set, female and male. Then there are the days when the babies are fledging from their nests. My phone camera helps to capture them whether they are eating, dating or having a bird bath. I also enjoy pictures from our children of animals visiting their homes. The deer are amazing to watch. What I am most grateful for is how much our grandchildren love animals. They learn how to treat them, respect them and meet their needs. It is a great blessing to live in the country where many species of animals live.