Gratitude

Write a love letter to the home you currently live in. Rupi Kaur's Gratitude Writing Prompts

To our home:

First I want to apologize for the lack of improvements I promised. When I moved into this house in 1997, it was in great shape as was the yard, back porch, and outbuilding. When we retired in 2012, we moved this house with the idea of building on the land we moved it to and selling this home.

It didn't happen as I had cancer that year and then treatment in 2013. At the time I couldn't care less about building or where I was living and even not knowing how long I would live. So nothing has been done on this house we are still living in.

The house needs new kitchen flooring and a new range, the walls all have the wallpaper from the 80s, and even though wallpaper and popcorn ceilings may be back in some time, I'm not sure if they are in now. And the bathroom fix was never completed as it was meant to be.

I loved this house when I first moved in, but it was always meant to be temporary. I didn't know it would be until death do us part, but it may be. I am 11 years out from cancer treatment and continue to have no sign of cancer. I can consider starting some fixes.

That is what this letter is about. An apology, an explanation of what happened, and a promise to look at some fixes, along with a thank you. I have loved living here. It really wouldn't take much work to get this older house back to the place that was considered in great shape!

And finally, I wish to say we are happy and comfortable in this old house that has become our forever home. Miigwech!

What are your favorite ways to show affection to others? Rupi Kaur's Gratitude Writing Prompts

Showing affection isn't something I was too familiar with growing up. My grandma used to hug me. My mother was good at taking care of injuries. We were rewarded with food as my mother was a great cook and baker.

We were not a hugging family until I went to treatment. In treatment, the first thing that happened each day was meditation and after meditation hugging. I was uncomfortable hugging and my counselor said that I could stick out my hand and didn't have to hug.

By the time my 30 days were up, I was hugging everyone. My counselor suggested I put myself into hug therapy with a minimum of 5 hugs a day and 12 for growth. I had kids so the five a day were doable, but she said that was just for survival. I did more than five when I could.

Hugs rippled out to family and friends and then my family was a hugging family. Touch is so important. I hold my husband's hand at times when he is driving to show him some affection. We cuddle at times at home. I kiss him on the cheek when I am apologizing for something. It works.

Another way to show affection came from my sponsor who said, "You don't have to like anyone, but you have to love everyone." Then she went on to tell me how. She said, "When you are in a group, go around the circle and with your eyes tell everyone in that circle that you love them. It works.

A time I felt grateful for a stranger was ___________. Rupi Kaur's Gratitude Writing Prompts

A time I felt grateful for a stranger was when a woman asked me to help her start a narcotics anonymous meeting. I was sober for almost a year at the time. I was not taking drugs, but I was carrying some around with me in my purse for all of that time.

They were there in case of an emergency. I wasn't sure what kind of emergency there was for amphetamines, but I couldn't give them away or throw them away. When she asked, I thought I was not a drug addict, but maybe I could help her.

This was the first time I saw her. She heard me talking about the pills and I was told I couldn't talk about that in the meeting I was in. She invited me to her house that day to talk. I don't know why but I went.

I wasn't doing well and my sponsor told me to keep helping others and that would help me. So this was the way. When I got to her house, she said, "Come with me and bring your purse." I did what she said. I didn't know where we were going but the next thing I knew, we were in her bathroom.

She told me to take the pills out of my purse and step by step she talked me through flushing my pills. The next thing I knew I was sobbing on a stranger's bathroom floor. I believe that stranger saved my life. Some years later she relapsed and not much later her addiction killed her.

My gratitude is huge for that stranger, who became a friend, and when she died I thought, "Why couldn't I help her?" The response to my thought was that I can help others. We can't always help those we want to so desperately!