An Attitude of Gratitude
By Maggs
@maggs224 (2320)
Alicante, Spain
May 16, 2020 5:28am CST
Even in bad times there are so many good things we can focus on, that we can be grateful for. I know that if I have an attitude of gratitude it always lifts my spirit.
I don't have to look far either for something to be grateful for because I am surrounded by things and people that I am grateful for.
It is not like bad things don't or haven't happened to me, or sad and tragic things too, but even in the midst of those things I found that an attitude of gratitude still lifted my spirit.
The good thing is we can be grateful for even the smallest thing or mundane thing. Even some of the most taken for granted things that we use every day. For me one thing that always makes me smile is my automatic washing machine, it still fills me with a sense of joy.
I can remember the old dolly tub and great big mangle in the back yard and the Monday wash taking all day lol... The red chapped hands hanging out the washing on the washing line on a cold frosty day.
What are you grateful for?
21 people like this
21 responses
@LovingMyBabies (85285)
• Valdosta, Georgia
16 May 20
I absolutely agree with you. This month has been a tough one for my family but we choose to change our focus and keep our eyes on God through it all, no matter what happens. =)
I am grateful for my walk with God, my life, my health, my family and all of my basic needs being met.
2 people like this
@maggs224 (2320)
• Alicante, Spain
16 May 20
@LovingMyBabies Your reply which is full of gratitude and thanksgiving that it made me think of psalm 100 and one of the hymns it inspired
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@LovingMyBabies (85285)
• Valdosta, Georgia
16 May 20
@maggs224 I have never heard this song, I'll listen to it. =) God's love is more than enough to be grateful for even if everything else was gone.
1 person likes this
@maggs224 (2320)
• Alicante, Spain
16 May 20
@LovingMyBabies it is more of a chorus than a hymn and I have been blessed to find that even in the darkest of times His love and grace is more than enough
1 person likes this
@marlina (154129)
• Canada
16 May 20
@maggs224 My Mom hanged the clothes outside even in the cold Canadian winter.
Later on, she took the clothes back into the house and hung them again in the upstairs hall.
All the clothes were frozen solid and it was always on Monday.
I still remember the scent of the frozen shirts.
1 person likes this
@maggs224 (2320)
• Alicante, Spain
16 May 20
@marlina That is a lovely attitude to have Marlina. Like you I helped my mum it wasn't unpleasant in the summer. But on a cold winter's day when there was a biting wind, my hands wet from the washing, would get so cold they would hurt.and so I used to dread hanging out the washing then.
1 person likes this
@simone10 (54187)
• Louisville, Kentucky
18 May 20
@maggs224 I know and what you are saying is so true. He has had to work through all of this and we are both thankful considering the circumstances. He is the one that goes grocery shopping. We use delivery as much as possible but there are a few things we don't trust shoppers to get and that's produce and meat. I feel like it's a little like Russian roulette every time he is out in public. I do pray and try to put it in God's hands but it's hard.
1 person likes this
@maggs224 (2320)
• Alicante, Spain
18 May 20
@simone10 The fear is making you feel like it is like Russian roulette but looking at the statistics for the USA over 80% of the cases of people who have been infected only had a mild case.
The chances of catching the virus are dramatically cut if you are following the hand washing and wearing a mask instructions. The figures for catching the virus in the USA as far as I have found range between 1.5%-3.5%
So even taking the higher figure if we turn that around and and look at it from another perspective, you have a 97% chance of not catching now that does not seem as fearful and a much better thing to have in your mind when your brother goes out to shop.
1 person likes this
@maggs224 (2320)
• Alicante, Spain
16 May 20
I am sorry Sharon that you worry every day about your brother getting the virus. Such worry will not do you or your brother any good.
I know it is hard not to worry but I once read that worry is a meditation on fear. The bad thing about worry is that it feeds the fear you have making the fear get even greater. Every time you worry you feed the fear.
The fear and worry makes you forget that he has come so far through this crisis without catching the virus, that he has people like you looking out for him keeping him safe.
1 person likes this
@maggs224 (2320)
• Alicante, Spain
17 May 20
@just4him Some times Valerie it takes something like a crisis or a life threatening event to open our eyes to the blessings we have in our lives. We certainly get to enjoy what and who we have in life when we have learned not to take them for granted.
You are right about recognising what a blessing an automatic washing machine is when you have lived in a time when all there was was a dolly tub, ponch and a dollypeg like in the photo above lol....
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@maggs224 (2320)
• Alicante, Spain
18 May 20
@just4him My mum's first washing machine was similar to the one in the photo which also had an electric ringer on the top which was very powerful and managed to squeeze most of the water out of the clothes even more so than the old mangle
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (162238)
• United States
18 May 20
I think most of all I am grateful for my experiences and also for an innovative and adaptive mind.
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@maggs224 (2320)
• Alicante, Spain
18 May 20
@GardenGerty I see you know what the important things in life are, and an attitude of gratitude for those things just opens you wide up to recieve even more of those experiences, what a fabulous way to live this life.
@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
17 May 20
It is strange how we always want more and forget the past isn't it? I am amazed and always thankful I have a laptop, a small phone by my side, and my Roku to watch what I want when I want on my big TV 
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@maggs224 (2320)
• Alicante, Spain
17 May 20
@bunnybon7 until just over a year ago I only had the laptop but now I have the phone and the Roku so they are still newish to me and I can understand why you are greatful for them. I think you are right about how easy it is to forget and take for granted what we have and focus on what we don't lol...
1 person likes this
@Dragonairy1 (1722)
• Newcastle Upon Tyne, England
16 May 20
Gratitude is something I still have to practice, and when I remember I've got a lot to be grateful for it does make me more happy and positive.
1 person likes this
@maggs224 (2320)
• Alicante, Spain
16 May 20
@Dragonairy1 hi Frances I am glad that you have first hand knowledge of how much an attitude of gratitude changes the way we feel for the better. Another good thing is the more we practice the better we feel and the easier it is to do. So it is a win win all the way round.
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@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
16 May 20
Just to wake up in the morning.
1 person likes this
@maggs224 (2320)
• Alicante, Spain
16 May 20
@JohnRoberts I like your style John, it is always a good feeling to wake up to a new day. When you get to my age waking up makes any day a good day lol...
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@Nakitakona (56481)
• Philippines
20 May 20
Anything good or bad. I know that we give thanks for everything. My family is the greatest thing I have in which I am so grateful.
1 person likes this
@maggs224 (2320)
• Alicante, Spain
20 May 20
@Nakitakona Our families are beyond price. I agree with you our family is our greatest treasure and there is nothing better to be grateful for.
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@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
14 Sep 20
love this coz 'tis true. 'tis actually a choice one makes though, to be grateful fer e'en the simplest 'f thingies. i'm quite easily 'mused 'n seek these thingies near constant. 's helped to keep my sanity :)
i recall the days'f doin' the washin' with jest a bucket'n washboard, haulin' water from the creek. heatin' such'p'n the wood cookin' stove. ah, the good ol' days 'f not that long 'go.
@mynameiskate (2574)
•
30 May 20
I had this washing machine which would now and then decide to spill over. The drain in the basement doesn't really drain very well so it meant if there was anything on the floor it would become soaked. It did mean however after mop up the basement floor was squeaky clean. It didn't do it all the time which made the problem worse to solve. Then the dryer stopped working. Both machines really didn't work very well even when they were working. They worked but didn't wash or dry the clothes properly.
So I started looking around at new and used and found a used set that was very reasonable. The washer cleans wonderfully and the dryer well its a may tag. They put me in cloths washer heaven.
Sure, I might catch myself finding something to complain about because my used washer does go thud thud or maybe I will not feeling like even doing the wash? But I think having those difficulties before, made me appreciate what I do have today. These days I'm grateful just being able to do things like the wash and so wouldn't even want a live in maid to do it. Sorry about the long comment here. Now that I think about it my hamper can be emptied soon.
@Lakshman15 (2662)
• India
16 May 20
Wow that's cool..
In your image you show some products..can i know what we do using those..first time i see like those..
1 person likes this
@maggs224 (2320)
• Alicante, Spain
16 May 20
@Lakshman15 I am glad that the photo has tweaked your interest, they are things that we used to do the washing with in the 1940s and early 1950s which I think is well before you were born.
If you are really interested I wrote an article about those things here is the link
This will give you some idea of what working class life was like in the 1940s and the things we used and how they were used.
what wash days were like sixty years ago before there were such things as automatic washing machines. Read this first hand account of what it was like in a working class home in Britain on wash day.
@Lavanya15 (12888)
• Chennai, India
16 May 20
That's great..
Can I know usage of this product??? Not having any idea about it
1 person likes this
@maggs224 (2320)
• Alicante, Spain
16 May 20
@Lavanya15 I am not surprised that you know nothing of the things in the photograph you are obviously a lot younger than me.
If you are really interested I wrote an article about those things here is the link
This will give you some idea of what life was like in the 1940s and the things we used and how they were used.
what wash days were like sixty years ago before there were such things as automatic washing machines. Read this first hand account of what it was like in a working class home in Britain on wash day.
