Look for the good in the bad,
The happy in the sad,
The gain in the pain,
Be grateful instead of hateful
Tag: gratitude
Reasons to be Grateful
Gratitude has a way of making life much better- it has a way of taking the sting out of any adversity you may face. It also helps you to put things in perspective. Gratitude isn’t about having delusions of grandeur. In fact, it’s far from it. It’s about realizing the blessings you have and counting them- making you realize that there is beauty in life if you look for it.
I will admit that sometimes, I forget to count my blessings and am not as thankful as I should be, we all get that way sometimes, especially when things don’t go as planned. However, as long as we realize it, we can quickly get back on the right track.
There are many things I am grateful for:
1. An awesome family who is close-knit and supportive of one another. I’m thankful for the love and togetherness we share and that we have healthy relationships with one another.
2. I’m thankful for my husband, Mike. Although we’ve had our ups and downs, we live each other very much. He is affectionate and open with me about everything. He works hard and takes care of me. Best of all, he supports me in my blogging and publishing of my books, which is something I thoroughly enjoy. I couldn’t ask for a better husband!
3. I’m grateful for my children. They have grown to be responsible adults who work hard, lead productive lives, and believe in God.
4. I’m grateful to have escaped bullying and eventually gotten to know my value and the good I bring to the table. I thank God everyday for opening my eyes and helping me to restore my confidence and peace of mind.
There are so many more things on my Gratitude List but if I wrote it all down, the list would be so long I’d use up all my storage space.
What are you grateful for today? Feel free to comment below.
Happy Sixth Bloggiversary to Moi! 😁
Greetings everyone! It just dawned on me that today is the Chateau’s sixth bloggiversary. So, here’s to a wonderful six years of writing for bulllied targets and survivors everywhere. I’ve met so many awesome people here- people I would never have met had I not started this blog on March 7, 2016. I feel so thankful that God has taken me this far and I pray for another six years of blogging and beyond.
Also, I want to thank each and every one of my readers, followers, and blogger friends. Without you, I never would’ve made it this far. So the glory and credit goes to God and to each of you as well!
I’m so grateful!
To the Best Teachers Who Made a Positive Difference in My Life
Many of my teachers were awesome and truly had the best interests of their students at heart. Yes, there were about 3-4 teachers throughout my school days who joined my classmates in their incessant and obsessive bullying.
However, there were also those beacons of light, those rare gems, those sparkling jewels- those unforgettable and outstanding teachers who made such a difference in my life that I honestly don’t know where I’d be without them. Next to my mother and both grandmothers, these teachers helped me to see what I was capable of.
They were teachers who stood behind me when I was being bullied and who I believe were being bullied by other teachers and faculty because they were so impartial, fair, and the best with kids.
They could be tough at times, especially when they knew we weren’t trying and reaching our potential. These teachers were never abusive, but they pushed me and the other kids they taught to be their best, and I have the utmost honor and respect for them.
Sadly, one of those teachers is no longer with us.
Mr. Dennis Strayhorn- Although I wasn’t in his class long, he made such a positive difference in my life. He always encouraged me to push and do better and he didn’t tolerate laziness so he could be tough any time I give up and stopped trying. This man believed in me and knew that I could achieve heights that not even I realized I could reach at the time. Sadly, he passed away in his sleep in 2007.
I believe that he went peacefully and that’s what gives me comfort. May he rejoice in Heaven forever!
Mrs. Sue Toles- She also left a huge imprint on my heart. This is the teacher who, I’ll remember the most. She loved her students and she made it a point to take care of and stand up for us. She always looked out for us and had our best at heart. She too could be tough when we’d get lazy because she always knew that we could do better.
She never gave up on me even when I’d given up on myself and those are the things about a great teacher that leave lasting memories. I love her even today and still talk to her every now and again. Mrs. Toles continues to be one of my mentors.
Mrs. Sheila Dodson- This lady was an outstanding teacher. She’s the teacher I had when I first began writing my own stories and she encouraged me to keep writing because she believed it would pay off one day. She was right!
Like the other great teachers, she had no time for laziness because she believed in us and knew that we could do more than we thought. She always said that “You are the only person who holds you back.”
Mr. Raymond Neal- Mr. Neal was the comedian teacher and he always made class fun. He too could be tough when kids in his class got lazy. However, he was one of the few teachers who was empathetic to bullied kids and gave them the support and encouragement they needed.
With the Golden Rule posted above his chalkboard, he was a stickler about how kids treated each other and was quick to call bullies out when they’d come calling. He’s crack little jokes and make us laugh throughout the class period. He was the type of teacher who made you look forward to coming to his class and made you sad to have to leave it.
It is teachers like these above who are as rare and priceless as blue diamonds and they definitely did not miss their calling. Sadly, awesome teachers such as these are very few and far between. We definitely need more like them because they are a blessing to any child’s life and they leave such a lasting impression. These are the teachers who are unforgettable!
These are the teachers who truly make a difference, and, therefore, make not only the classroom, but the entire world, a better place!