A Story of Gratitude on Thanksgiving

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200 words, Dad, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, family, Gratitude, growing up, happy, health, life, love, parents, perspective, Relationships, Thanksgiving

Me, Shannon and Dad in 1985

Never let things you want, make you forget the things you have.

In the summer of 2015, Dad called and insisted that I visit that September. Looking back, I am grateful he did so, as unknown to any of us, Dad would pass away two months later.

When I reflect on what I am grateful for, Dad is at the top of the list. I know how fortunate I am to have had a father who loved me, and kept me safe, who was in my life for 52 years.

Dad also was a grateful man. During that 2015 visit, from the couch he practically lived on due to the back pain he’d suffered, he looked at me and said, “You know, Diana…I cannot really complain about anything, I’ve had a great life.”

“A great life, Dad? You grew up in war-torn Berlin. Your windows imploded when bombs were dropped. You were hungry much of the time!”

I don’t remember his answer verbatim, but it was something like, “yes, but we looked out for each other on our street, we shared everything. I was loved.”

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

This Thanksgiving, don’t forget what you have…

 

 

 

#RideForRefuge Well I Did It…Kinda

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Alberta, Calgary, community, compassion, Diana Schwenk, Fundraising, generosity, Gratitude, Hump Day Chronicles, laughter, Life's like that, living in the moment, Oxford House, passion, Purpose, recovery, Relationships, Ride for Refuge, thank you, world issues

Post registration, pre-ride photo.

WE HAD ANTICIPATED WARMER WEATHER, 19c/67f degrees to be exact, but in Calgary, it is hard to predict weather beyond 48 hours. On ride day, it seemed nice enough outside early in the morning, but it got quite windy and cold after the riders were sent out. And I swear, that no matter what direction the route took, the wind was blowing cold and full blast, into my face. Coupled with that, having gained at least 15 pounds since last year’s ride, I ended up having to dismount, a couple of times, part way up hills, and walk them.

I can laugh about it today, but another thing I did on ride day, was miss the 10km turn off, so I unwittingly rode about 5km more than I signed up for,(probably a good thing, seeing as I have gained weight), but I took two others with me! So you’d have to ask Earl and Kellie how they felt about me misleading them – sorry guys!

None of that is important when compared to the benefit that resulted through the compassionate efforts of the riders, walkers, donors and volunteers, who all played a role in raising over $20,000 for Oxford House. Practically speaking, this means that eight men or women in recovery, will have a home, and support in their recovery, for an entire year!

I personally want to thank those 20 people who supported my ride – together we raised $1,335! Also, I want to thank the 12 people who joined my team  who along with you, fundraised $5,460 in total for Oxford House.

My team, the Riders for Recovery

(L-R) Diana, Earl, Kellie, Tracey, Trish, Dean, Michael, Leanne, Ava and Pat. And missing from this photo are: Jaidyn, Ziyan, Karim and Donald

Who says you can’t goof around and work hard at the same time?

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

 

Humility, Gratitude and Service

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community, compassion, courage, Diana Schwenk, Gratitude, growing up, happy, humanity, humility, Hump Day Chronicles, integrity, joy, kindness, laughter, life, living in the moment, love, Purpose, Relationships, service

I had the privilege of interviewing someone yesterday. Someone whose childhood was marked by abandonment, abuse and neglect. Someone who coped by making bad choices as a result.

His story was heartbreaking and made me question…

No, it made me wrestle with the whys. Why do people treat other people so horribly? And not just other adults, but children. Children who need a better foundational start at life.

But to be honest, that’s not the part of his story that stuck with me.

What stood out was his gratefulness. For every time someone showed him kindness. Every time someone reached out to help him. Went out of their way to give him hope. Saw him, loved him for who he was, took action to make a difference in his life — and did it all without judging him.

His story reminded me of all the people in my life who were pivotal, who were catalysts in changing my life for the better. Most did not even know to what extent they impacted me, inspired me, motivated me to find purpose in my life by serving others.

His story reminded me how important it is to reach out and help others just because I’ve been helped. To pay it forward, to never forget where I came from, to stay humble and grateful.

It’s what brings out the best in humanity. Don’t you think?

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

How To Set The World On Fire

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200 words, authentic, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, dreams, grace, Gratitude, growing up, happy, History, joy, life, mission, passion, Purpose, That thing you're meant to do, true to yourself, vision

Be who you were created to be and you will set the world on fire.

St. Catherine of Siena

There was a time when it was considered good and sensible to accept one’s lot in life with grace and gratitude. A time when if your father was a servant, it would follow that you would be a servant, and your son would be a servant.

These days, we tell ourselves that we can be whoever we want to be. Some folks achieve their dreams, many don’t.

I wonder have we set ourselves up for failure and ultimately, a life of misery because of it?

Just as with any stream of contemporary thought in any given time in human history, when we examine our ideals over a long period of time, we discover that the pendulum has swung from one extreme to another.

So I find myself thinking it best that the pendulum rest somewhere in the middle.

That it doesn’t have to be completely this way or that.

That purpose can be found in this way AND that.

That any person using their unique gifts can set their world on fire; no matter their station in life.

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

Happy Thanksgiving From The Middle of Nowhere!

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Alberta, attitude, blessings, Canada, daughter, disappointments, family, farming, food, grateful, Gratitude, Happy Thanksgiving, harvest, Relationships, Rosalind, thankful, values

If we magnified blessings as much as we magnify disappointments, we would all be much happier.

~ John Wooden

Well…not exactly nowhere. But when you’re an urbanite like me, driving on a handful of secondary highways to get to Rosalind, Alberta feels a lot like the middle of nowhere.

Me and Michaela Sept. 2016

I gladly drive those lonely highways though, to spend Thanksgiving with my daughter, her boyfriend Werner and his family.

That’s right. Here in Canada we celebrate Thanksgiving on the second Monday of October. My guess is, we pushed it up to line up with harvest time north of the 49th.

Speaking of harvest, that’s what my daughter, Werner and his parents have been up to on their family farm the last few weeks.

What’s more Thanksgiving than that?

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I’m going to practice magnifying my blessings instead of blowing up my disappointments into massive proportions, how about you?

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

Have you hugged a farmer today?

This post has been scheduled to publish on Sunday. When you read this, I will already be in the middle of nowhere cherishing wonderful people. I hope you are also with those whom you love. ❤

Diana xo

Happiness

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200 words, Alberta, Calgary, Canada, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, First World Problems, Gratitude, happy, Life's like that, perspective, reality check, summer

Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.

― Henry James

For me too, Henry. For me too.

Feeling that warm sun on my skin.

Eating ice cream on a park bench.

Taking evening walks when it’s still light out.

Riding my brand new bike on Calgary’s many pathways.

Summer really makes me happy.

But here’s the thing. We haven’t really had much of a summer this year. It’s been all rain, rain, rain. I keep telling myself better summer days are coming. I mean yesterday wasn’t bad. It was sunny in the morning and it didn’t rain all day. I rode my bike and sat out on a patio with a good friend but…

…there’s not much time left for ‘better summer days.’ I’m seeing signs of fall. Wasps are acting all aggressive already, as they do in the fall and today I noticed leaves are turning and some are on the ground and I’m just not happy about it!

But I have a home, food in my stomach, good people who love me and I’m reminded gratitude is what REALLY leads to happiness.

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

 

 

Making a Big Deal Out of Nothing

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Alberta, attitude, Calgary, children, Diana Schwenk, Disneyland, Edmonton, family, friends, Gratitude, growing up, happy, humour, joy, kids, laughter, living in the moment, Red Deer, Relationships, Tourist in my own city

Michaela and me the last time she visited Calgary

I’m not being a Negative Nancy here. It’s not about turning a minor incident into a major catastrophe.

I’m talking about making a big deal out of nothing in a positive way; taking a mediocre event and turning into a really good time.

So I guess I’m being more of an Optimistic Olga or a Gratitude Gertrude.

Like when my daughter Michaela was little and I built up a trip to Shopper’s Drugmart to the equivalent of going to Disneyland.

One’s attitude can go a long way in determining how you experience things.

You choose:

Do you roll your eyes and just endure it? Or do you have the time of your life?

My daughter lives a 3 1/2 hour drive north of Calgary where I live, in a small town called Camrose, 45 minutes east of Edmonton. When I visit her or she visits me, which isn’t very often, it includes at least one sleepover, we DO have lots of fun. But it usually works out to only spending 5 or 6 hours together in a two-day period.

So we came up with a plan, one that took way too long for us to figure out, I might add.

This Saturday, we’re going to meet up in Red Deer to spend the day together and then both of us will drive back to our individual homes. You see, Red Deer is half way between Calgary and Edmonton, Alberta’s two major cities. Red Deer is small compared to these two metropolitans, in fact Red Deer only has a little over 10% of either city’s population.

But just like the long ago Shopper’s Drugmart adventures, we aim to spend a fun-filled time in Red Deer.

In preparation for this adventure, I needed to find out if Red Deer even has a downtown area and by golly they do, as seen in the promo video I found on YouTube below.

Trust me, you want to watch this video!

We plan to visit all the featured places in the above video and maybe even find some other hidden Red Deer gems!

I will share our adventure with you next week right here on TALKTODIANA

Stay tuned you don’t want to miss it!  😉

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

When’s the last time you made a big deal out of nothing?

 

Do Others Know You Are Grateful For Them?

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200 words, believe, caring, community, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, encourage, family, friends, generosity, grateful, Gratitude, growing up, happy, joy, kindness, laughter, life, living in the moment, Relationships, thank you, thankful

Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone

Gladys Stern

I think we all pretty much agree that when we are grateful for the things and beautiful people we do have in our lives, we feel richer.

I grew up learning that life is not always fair and it may be one of the most important lessons I’ve ever learned. Each time I’ve come face to face with an injustice, I had the important choice of remaining in a state of despair or being grateful for the resources available to me to work through it.

When we are intentional about turning our thoughts away from what we do not have toward what we do have, we are given the strength to endure and overcome our struggles.

Recognizing this truth is a blessing to those who embrace it.

Yet if we just recognize it without speaking our gratitude to those who give us strength, we miss a wonderful opportunity to bring joy to others.

So when someone lightens our load, do we express our thanks to them? When we hear someone say something good about another, do we tell them?

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

Is there somebody you should thank today?

Oh How My Heart Leapt For Joy

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200 words, Alberta, Calgary, Canada, Diana Schwenk, Diana's Enormous Book of Quotes, endurance, Gratitude, happy, joy, life, living in the moment, perserverance, summer

Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must. – Johann von Goethe

Last week Calgary was under a smoky, hazy sky.

We were warned to keep our windows shut in our homes and keep the vents closed in our cars.

The haze was a result of fires burning in Washington and BC.  The poor air quality registered off the index.

Some days, I could taste smoke on my tongue.

On the news they compared pictures of Hong Kong and Calgary’s Deerfoot; the main highway that runs north and south.

The images were indistinguishable from each other.

I wasn’t happy about the last vestiges of summer being diffused by smoke, but was amazed by how quickly it became the norm for me.

Something to simply be endured.

The sun during the day and the moon during the night were often red or orange and looked like a scene out of a Sci-fi movie; an other worldly picture of a faraway planet.

Magical, perhaps even beautiful in its own way.

But oh how my heart leapt for joy when the sun’s beautiful light broke through the haze on Friday!

~ DIANA’S ENORMOUS BOOK OF QUOTES ~

On Friday the sun broke through the haze

Happy Thanksgiving USA, With Love, Canada

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Canada, Canadian National Anthem, Diana Schwenk, Gratitude, Happy Thanksgiving, neighbours, O Canada, Pittsburg Penguins, thankful, USA, world issues

We may not always see eye-to-eye.

And often we playfully tease each other.

But when the poop hits the fan, we’re there for each other.

I was recently reminded of this when a Canadian soldier was shot in Ottawa.

President Obama assured Canadians that America would stand with us.

American citizens offered their support and condolences.

On a personal level, many of my American friends offered their sympathy and support.

So as you sit around your tables tomorrow surrounded by loved ones and declaring your thankfulness, know that your Canadian brothers and sisters are raising a glass to you in grateful expression.

Happy Thanksgiving USA. May our friendship and mutual support endure forever.

The video below still brings a tear to my eye when I watch it.

Before a hockey game in Pittsburg between two American teams, O Canada is sung in support of Ottawans and Canadians across the country in response to the shooting of an unarmed Canadian soldier standing guard at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~

May God bless our southern neighbours this Thanksgiving season. We love you!