Today is Gratitude Day!

Continuing my list of '100 Gratitudes', I am grateful for...

93. 'The Sky is Everywhere' by Jandy Nelson - this is a Young Adult novel I came across while browsing the Lovereading website. It follows the story of seventeen-year-old Lennie as she deals with the death of her older sister. As the younger, quieter sister Lennie was used to living in her sister's shadow, but now she must learn how to shine. A part of me can relate to the feeling of living in an older sibling's shadow, but what really makes me grateful for this story is the way the author Jandy Nelson inhabits the world of the teenager so convincingly. Reading the novel made me feel like I was in high school again, going through all the rollercoaster emotions, desperate to be an adult but lacking the emotional maturity to really be one. Oh the joys of adolescence! :-) This book reminded me how far I've come since I was a teenager, but that even as adults we're always learning, always growing. I haven't read YA fiction since I myself was a young adult (apart from Harry Potter of course) but this novel has shown me that it's a genre worth exploring.

94. Ancient Egypt - I've mentioned The Pyramids in this list already, but I come back to Ancient Egypt because last week I went to the British Museum to see the Book of the Dead exhibition. It was fascinating! It's hard to believe that the papyrus they have on display is thousands of years old because the colours are still so vibrant. It's wonderful to be able to get so close to ancient cultures, almost as though they still exist to this day. When I look at these ancient hieroglyphic-covered papyrus I always imagine the scribe who wrote them. I picture the person bent over the papyrus, their writing so delicate and precise, and I'm reminded of the art of writing. These ancient scribes were artists as well as storytellers and record keepers. I like to imagine all modern day writers as descendents of ancient Egyptian scribes. Myself included! :-)

95. writing - I don't think I need to explain why I'm grateful for writing; it's obvious isn't it? But let me just say this - having an outlet for creative expression is so important to all of us, even those who say they have no artistic talent. That's the thing - it's not about talent. It's about finding something that allows you to say what is in your heart, a way to bring your truth to the world. Mine is writing. What is yours?

96. 'The Artist's Way' by Julia Cameron - reading this book was the first time I became aware of writing being a spiritual practice. Before then I thought spiritual practices were confined to the church, something I had no interest in pursuing. So it came as a welcome surprise to find that something I enjoyed doing so much could help me connect to the divine and help me live a more spiritual existence. For those who aren't familiar with the book, Julia Cameron asks you to write three pages each morning, ("morning pages") as soon as you wake up, to get all those niggling doubts and thoughts down onto the page and out of your system, which allows the real creative energy to flow. Once you're connected to that energy, you're able to create with much more ease. I'm grateful for anything that helps make the writing process easier! :-) I'm also eternally grateful for anything that helps me live in harmony and balance. That's what writing with spiritual intent does for me.