Happy Thanksgiving!

Autumn to Winter

by Dawn Pisturino

The old year is fading

and Autumn blows

the misty clouds

of Winter our way.

(A runaway grizzly bear meets Jack Frost and Old Man Winter in this vintage cartoon from 1934. My father loved these old cartoons.)

(My favorite Thanksgiving hymn – “We Gather Together”)

(George Winston playing his beautiful and inspiring piece, “Thanksgiving.” My mother adored George Winston.)

My parents always came for Thanksgiving. Now that they are gone, I always think of them at this time of year.

PSALM 95:1-5 (NKJV)

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the LORD is the great God, and the great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it; and His hands formed the dry land.

PLEASE NOTE: I WILL NOT BE POSTING ANYTHING UNTIL SOME TIME NEXT WEEK.

Have a joyful and blessed Thanksgiving!

~

Dawn Pisturino

November 23, 2022

Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

A Smile is a Random Act of Kindness

Have you ever gone shopping, locked eyes with a complete stranger, — and smiled?

Smiling is a random act of kindness.

It doesn’t cost you a penny. There’s no commitment involved. There’s no signing on the dotted line. But just the simple act of smiling can bring a little ray of sunshine into someone else’s day. Receiving a smile from a complete stranger might be the thing that uplifts you out of a bad mood and reminds you that, yes! the world is a beautiful place.

A smile is a gift that keeps on giving. You smile at me, I smile at someone else, pay it forward. Pretty soon, the whole world is smiling!

Dawn Pisturino, RN

September 1, 2021/February 18, 2022

Copyright 2021-2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

An Attitude of Gratitude

Like so many people, I get caught up in the stresses and strains of everyday life, wish I could scrap it all, and start all over again. I want a different job, a new husband, more money, increased luxury, a brand new car, a bigger house, a slimmer waist, a younger face.

I want to travel to exotic locations, meet exciting people, try enticing new foods, and lounge on the beach with nary a care in the world.

Maybe, if I hit the lottery or write a bestselling book, this could happen. But until then, how do I keep my perspective and enjoy life?

GRATITUDE 

The Thanksgiving holiday teaches us to sit back, take a realistic look at our lives, and count our blessings. 

Do I really want to turn in my well-worn husband for a new model? We’re used to each other. We know each other’s weaknesses and strengths. We’ve been to hell and back together and count each other as best friends. 

In 2013, we took some investment savings and paid off our mortgage. As long as we pay the taxes, nobody can take away our house. Do I really want another mortgage? NO! I don’t want the stress or the hassle. Being mortgage-free gives me freedom that I didn’t have before. 

Although my job can be very stressful, I make enough money working part-time that I can keep a flexible schedule. My husband and I have learned to live on less. Do I really want to commit myself to a 40 hour a week job? No way! I value my free time. And if I can’t afford to vacation on the French Riviera, so what? I’m perfectly happy and content at home with my husband, two cats, and one dog. 

I have loving relatives and supportive friends, with the possibility of meeting new people wherever I go. I have a beautiful daughter who’s talented, intelligent, and independent. She’s been the light of my life. I don’t need anything more.   

And you know what?  That’s okay. I’m grateful for the things I have. And if Fate decides to send me more, well, I’ll deal with it whenever it happens.

What are you grateful for?

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Dawn Pisturino

Copyright 2014-2021 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.