More Gifts of Words from A-Z: Alone
Today I am grateful for my reading and writing abilities and that I have opportunities to use them daily.
Last year at about this time, I did a series of blog posts on different words from each letter of the alphabet. I called it "The Gift of Words From A-Z." Here is the description I have in my post from November 26, 2012, the day I started my word journey through the alphabet:
I have mentioned a number of times that an A-Z gratitude list is an easy way to think about gratitude when you are on the go. You can do such a list on your commute, a walk, sitting with a cup of morning coffee. You can write it, say it outloud, say it to yourself, say it to someone else. If you haven't tried an A-Z gratitude list, I would encourage you to do so.
I have done this A-Z list enough times that I sometimes get in a rut, saying the same things for certain letters. That's not all bad, because the things I repeat are worth repeating. But in an effort to mix it up a bit, I am taking a different approach for the next 26 days or so. I have my very own Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary in actual book form. Call me old-fashioned, but I still like to pick up a book, especially a hearty, thick book like this dictionary. I am going to peruse each letter of the alphabet and see what words grab me and take it from there.
I am back to perusing each letter, and if more than one word grabs me, I will give a letter of the alphabet more than one post.
I begin with the word alone today. I used to feel alone as an active alcoholic. No one understood my pain. No one loved me enough. No one could make me quit drinking. Alone with alcohol. We were not a good pair. Sure I may have been around others, I may have even been laughing and having a good time, but by the end of the night I was alone with my disease.
Feeling alone has also fit me as a cancer patient. Even though I had sisters and friends who had been or were going through some of the same things, I went into surgery alone. I was the one who got the IV chemotherapy. I was the one who had her breasts removed. I was alone with my fear of the unknown. I still can be.
So I know the alone that leaves us wanting contact, that leaves us feeling disconnected. The alone that is associated with fear and other tough emotions.
But I want to close by talking about the alone that I am grateful for today. I am grateful to drive alone on my commute to and from work. I get 30 minutes (or twice that on icky winter commutes) to myself to and from work, an hour to reflect, to listen to what music I want to listen to as loud as I want it playing. I am grateful to have time alone in my house in the early mornings. My family is sleeping upstairs and our dog Oliver is hanging out with me, but I am alone with the quiet and have some time to write. I prefer to write alone and pray alone. I like to take some of my runs alone. I appreciate the alone time I get because it doesn't happen that often. I'm an introvert. I need that time.
What does the word alone have you thinking about?
Have you tried an A-Z gratitude list? If not, why not start now?
Last year at about this time, I did a series of blog posts on different words from each letter of the alphabet. I called it "The Gift of Words From A-Z." Here is the description I have in my post from November 26, 2012, the day I started my word journey through the alphabet:
I have mentioned a number of times that an A-Z gratitude list is an easy way to think about gratitude when you are on the go. You can do such a list on your commute, a walk, sitting with a cup of morning coffee. You can write it, say it outloud, say it to yourself, say it to someone else. If you haven't tried an A-Z gratitude list, I would encourage you to do so.
I have done this A-Z list enough times that I sometimes get in a rut, saying the same things for certain letters. That's not all bad, because the things I repeat are worth repeating. But in an effort to mix it up a bit, I am taking a different approach for the next 26 days or so. I have my very own Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary in actual book form. Call me old-fashioned, but I still like to pick up a book, especially a hearty, thick book like this dictionary. I am going to peruse each letter of the alphabet and see what words grab me and take it from there.
I am back to perusing each letter, and if more than one word grabs me, I will give a letter of the alphabet more than one post.
I begin with the word alone today. I used to feel alone as an active alcoholic. No one understood my pain. No one loved me enough. No one could make me quit drinking. Alone with alcohol. We were not a good pair. Sure I may have been around others, I may have even been laughing and having a good time, but by the end of the night I was alone with my disease.
Feeling alone has also fit me as a cancer patient. Even though I had sisters and friends who had been or were going through some of the same things, I went into surgery alone. I was the one who got the IV chemotherapy. I was the one who had her breasts removed. I was alone with my fear of the unknown. I still can be.
So I know the alone that leaves us wanting contact, that leaves us feeling disconnected. The alone that is associated with fear and other tough emotions.
But I want to close by talking about the alone that I am grateful for today. I am grateful to drive alone on my commute to and from work. I get 30 minutes (or twice that on icky winter commutes) to myself to and from work, an hour to reflect, to listen to what music I want to listen to as loud as I want it playing. I am grateful to have time alone in my house in the early mornings. My family is sleeping upstairs and our dog Oliver is hanging out with me, but I am alone with the quiet and have some time to write. I prefer to write alone and pray alone. I like to take some of my runs alone. I appreciate the alone time I get because it doesn't happen that often. I'm an introvert. I need that time.
What does the word alone have you thinking about?
Have you tried an A-Z gratitude list? If not, why not start now?
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