Gratitude Journal

I am grateful for a clean house. Things have been nutty lately and I finally had time to get things done today. I feel so much more relaxed when things are in their place and clean.

I am grateful to my family and my medication. I am also grateful for not being too unhealthy. I have a place to sleep, food to eat, and clothes to wear. I am finally grateful for the future that allows me to improve myself and make myself a better person. I am happy and satisfied with what I have and don't want anything I can't have. I feel blessed.

I’m grateful despite this unbelievable pain and psoriasis flare starting that I’m still able to clean daily which is one of my main coping skills and cooking daily ..

I agree that a clean house brings a certain calm and relief. My house is completely clean today (except maybe the basement and garage). I was actually talking about this topic with my psychiatrist this morning. I had spoken with both my sister and brother about my father's house. My brother lives in my dad's house and is so terribly messy and certain things are just never cleaned sufficiently (i.e. floors). I almost think that that is one of many reasons why my father seems more content in the assisted living facility. They clean the rooms in his studio apartment, and of course the rest of the facility is nice and clean. It's actually a pleasant place.

I was grateful to see my psychiatrist today. I won't see him until a week after New Years, but I think that will be OK. I will likely see my therapist at least two or three times before then. Maybe four.

I was happy that I had several pleasant interactions with people in public today. It feels good when people smile at each other and say a few pleasant words, at the least. I try to smile at people in public all of the time. There is a HUGE reward in doing so.

One of my little ones is sick and a mother from my child's class did me a favor today to keep me from having to take my sick child out of the house. She went out of her way to help a virtual stranger. I am grateful for kind people.

Your devotion to a clean house is pretty awesome!

I’m really happy that your feeling better! I have been very worried.

You father probably does feel better being out of his home.. do you think you and your siblings could take on the chore of getting your Dad’s place clean and tidy for his return home?! Or maybe just hire a cleaning company?!

I was grateful to go have breakfast with my husbands sister before they left. They are headed to the Smokey mountains to celebrate there daughters birthday, she’s 29 but mentality of about a 2 year old, she’s almost always smiling and everything is so exciting for her.

I’m also grateful that I took the time to throw on some makeup.

Thanks, Christina! And I'm glad you had a nice visit with your husband's family members.

Actually yes, I had initiated conversations with my siblings about cleaning up our dad's house. I even offered to pay for a cleaning company to come in and do a one-time deep cleaning (w/the possibility of regular work paid by my dad), but my brother doesn't want that. He said he'd do some, but I have my doubts it would be a good job. I didn't bug him much more about that because he was hospitalized for congestive heart failure, at the time. I'll bring it up again.

The worst room in my dad's house is his dining room. My brother has the craziest stuff in there. Everywhere. Honey beekeeping stuff, chicken related stuff (he raises chickens), cooking paraphernalia, electrician stuff, you name it. Dad doesn't have a sit-in kitchen, so the dining room is where he should eat. Dad seems to have lost control of bills and other paperwork. That had been piling up on the table, too. My sister will take that over. I told her I'd buy a darned "in box". If nothing else, it would contain it into one spot.

It’s a shame your brother isn’t interested in getting the place cleaned up. Would your Dad be interested in that ?? Maybe if he agreed your brother would just have to go along with it ?? I hope your able to get something sorted out before he comes back home. Is he enjoying where he is staying right now ??

My Dad told my sister that he wants to stay in the assisted living until the warm weather. I don't know. April or May? April can still be cold.

It's hard to deal with my brother because he's one step from being an obsessive hobbyist. Maybe he actually is. I suggested that he try to get Dad to agree to have some of the outdoor sheds emptied. The problem is, even if our dad agreed, I really think my brother would want to hang on to a lot of it. They have 5 sheds, one of which is more like a barn. My brother always has so many projects going on at once. He's not really a hoarder, just the hobby stuff. A month back my brother casually said that he thinks he may have some "bipolarism", as he calls it. I was like "OMG!"

Oh that’s great news about your Dad wanting to stay at assisted living !

I’ve known a lot of people that get very involved in hobby’s but get bored and more on to a new one.

Maybe he could start selling or donating some things ??

Do you think he could have Bipolar ??

I don't know how much my brother would be willing to part with. He definitely could sell a lot of it.

I don't know if my brother has bipolar disorder. If he does, I would think it was bp2. I don't think he has ever been full blown manic, and I have never seen or heard of any psychotic behavior from him. But since bipolar disorder is a spectrum disorder, who knows. If he does have it, that would mean that all three of us have it (Sis, Bro, & me). That would seem odd how prevalent it was in my family. It already is now.

My brother has had depression, but the most significant was when he left the navy. He was career navy. However, at the time, he had several severe stressors going on. I wouldn't say depression was frequent in his life, but I am not sure.

Growing up, I think some bipolar behavior was "normalized". Also, my brother wasn't in my life for a long time because of our age difference and the navy.

You know it seems either military people get out and they are a stickler for everything be orderly and neat , ( my BIL has basic stuff$ or they have a lot stuff.

My brother 4 years older had no mental illness, yes stress he managed grocery stores all his life , works like a dog ..he’s just a steady rock. I truly thought for a long time one of us was adopted lol .., he was the smart one In school and I killed myself to pass.

I hope that your brother will consider lightening the load. Maybe he is on the spectrum of Bipolar. Only thing you can really do is just observe and see if something is there

I'm grateful for my son, my cats, my apt, having food to eat, my car. If I could just get this anxiety under control...but I have a lot to be grateful for.

I'm grateful for my cats. I love them so much

I’m grateful we got a little bit of snow I love driving around in it. It’s like magical to me.

I’m grateful I had the foods I needed to cook so many things today , I’m blessed for sure

I'm grateful for the support my family provides me.

I'm grateful that my mom's friend is willing to repair my car and is looking for cheap parts at pick and pull.

I am grateful for grace. So many people offered it to me when I was sick. I had the chance to offer it to someone today.

I am grateful for good neighbors.