World Gratitude Day

There is a lot in this world that is sad, disappointing, horrifying even.

There is international war. There is escalating gun violence and other violent crime in this country. There is a Congress hell-bent on either destroying this country or turning it into 'Christian', fascist state. There are millions of people around the world suffering from starvation, flooding and other natural disasters.

But today, World Gratitude Day, I want to focus on things that make me smile, that make me happy. Things for which I am grateful.

The joyfulness of my dogs, ages 1-1/2 years and 2-1/2 years, often makes me smile. They love to play, to wrestle, to chase each other.

Looking at some of my photographs can make me smile and bring back precise memories of when and where they were taken. Not just the memories and the images, but realizing that I did a good job of capturing the scene, makes me happy.

Walking outside on a crisp autumn morning, with no wind, no traffic and no noise, under a blue sky, makes me happy.

Looking at photos of some of the stunning places I have visited reminds me to be grateful for the opportunity to travel, to see places I have always wanted to see and to meet people from many other cultures.

There is beauty in this world. There is kindness. There are some good people doing their best to make this world a better place.

Let's be grateful for the good things and good people in our lives.

Note: World Gratitude Day was September 21, when I started writing this post, although I didn't get it posted until today.