What are you grateful for...? Day 2

I am feeling SO blessed with heartfelt gratitude this morning while walking with my dogs and mindfully taking a look all around me...

I came from a very humble beginning... and I feel SO blessed each day because of it!

I grew up sharing a bunk bed, food & shelter with 100 other orphans in an orphanage during the Vietnam War for 10 years. I always miss home and I never felt quite "full" each day at meal times. It was more challenging when I was and ( still am) a slow eater with the Asian way of "family style serving" What do I mean by that?  It is like at our Thanksgiving Dinner when all the food would be in the middle of the table and each one of us would have own rice bowl to reach for the main dishes. I eventually learned to take more meat, fish or veggies and hide them under my rice so I can get my share while eating at my snail pace to survive.

Come to think of it, I believe this is why I like serving "restuarant style" at my dinner table to my family & friends. I pile up each plate ( always decoratively) with everything and serve! Bon Appetit!  :)
Of course, I ALWAYS have more food than needed to make sure my family, friends and guests feel FULL at my table.  Ooops! Honey, I think that's why you have gained your weight being married to me  and added with your own upbringing to always empty your plates.   (Ok, that's a random thought ) lol haha

I share my humble beginning to say that I have been at both ends...you must appreciate the "emptiness" in order to appreciate "abundance" fully with gratitude. Abundance can mean a lot of different things to alot of people.  To me, I don't mean how much money or things you have or  lack. It is the feeling of being so blessed to have what you already have in front of you that money can't buy!

Especially after celebrating The Fourth of July! I am still feeling the gratitude even more today,  to be alive and being here in America as my "Home Sweet Home."
Thank you, America! I am grateful for my freedom & peace!

I am grateful for the beauty  & charm around our yellow  cottage that bring us joy and the hardwork behind it to appreciate each day and each season.

I so love & appreciate my husband, James. His hard work at the office each day to provide for us and also supply us with his handy work around our lil' cottage. We spent all of his July 4th weekend vacation, working hard to add to our sweet dream, being together, sweating together, laughing together & going out to get our desserts together to stay cool.  :)

Our dream is very simple.... I saw it, I felt it, I know it! ...It was in that very special moment that he stopped, out of the blue, sweaty and all from his  hard working mode to hug me and gave me a kiss and said, "I love us and why we are working so hard, together."  I teared up to feel the huge abundance of home & love in my heart. You can't buy those moments & feelings. For sure, money and things can't fulfilled!  It was in THAT moment, I  am grateful and knew that I have EVERYTHING my heart desires!

His labor of love to install irrigation with timers so my flowers and veggies will flourish but more importantly,  my reminder of those precious moments that my heart swell up and my heart will flourish as well! 

I believe God provides what our heart desires MOST!  I want Home & Love more than life itself. Without them, life is not worth living for this orphan...

But in reality, we all tend to be greedy at times. ( I am also guilty of my share of wants).
It's only when we think we WANT more than we NEED that we put ourselves in a place of constant "disatisfaction" or "lack" instead of standing in a glorious place of great blessings, abundance and gratitude of what we already have!

Please take a real good look around you today... What are you grateful for???

With love & light,
Hai