Grateful for Community

I've just returned from a glorious morning spent at the beach. Auckland has turned on fabulous winter weather for Year Four's Rocky Shore exploration, and I was one of the mamas on this class trip. It has given me much to be grateful for.

(photos from instagram since my camera batteries died; there are much better photos from today's trip, but they are stuck on my camera for now)

Reminded again of just how grateful I am to live where I live. Auckland and it's urban beaches are not to be sniffed at; there are not many cities in the world where a 15 minute bus ride will take you to an unpolluted beach with a harbour this beautiful.

Grateful for crisp and sunshiney Winter days. It's been stormy and blustery lately, so when a day dawns like this, bright and blue, it's a real treat. Especially if it's also the day you signed up to be parent help for a Rocky Shore Trip. Imagine doing this in the wind and cold? Grateful for unexpected good weather.

Grateful for my community. Who says big cities are soul-less lonely places? Where I live (just 10 minutes from the CBD) we actually know our neighbours. It's a gift and a blessing to be part of this community.

Grateful that I'm not repeating history. When I was growing up we moved homes and schools about every 18 months. I went to ten different schools. I've never had any such thing as a place where I'm FROM, or a community I am a part of, before I lived here. My kids are not being dragged from pillar to post, like I was. They are growing ROOTS.

Grateful for long term friendships, both for me and my kids. As I said in #4, I never had that, growing up. But my children are friends with kids they've known since they were teeny, and I am friends with their mums. There we are on the bus, my mummy friends and I, reminiscing about kindy trips and birthday parties from so many years gone by. That is such a precious thing to me, and I am so grateful.

Grateful for teams. Our eldest two kids are both involved in team sport. They gain and learn so much from it. I've never been sporty, myself; I was never involved in team sport so this is all new to me. But I absolutely love watching my kids shine on the sports field. I love seeing them learn how to become team players, handle disappointment and experience the joy of success.

Grateful for great coaches. Both our kids are blessed with coaches who work hard to bring out the best in each player. What a gift to have other adults inputting and believing in your child. We (and they) are supremely blessed with amazing dedicated coaches.

Grateful for this life I'm living. It occurs to me that things could be so much harder than they are. In my head I might struggle, but the everyday blessings that surround me are so many and so rich. Our home, our community, our friends, our school, our kids; having enough to eat and a comfortable home to live in. We are the rich of this world. Not Millionaires, but rich nevertheless.


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If you want to join in with The Grateful Project, grab a notebook and pen and just start writing down something every morning that you are grateful for. To connect with others who are doing it you can use #thegratefulproject on Twitter and Instagram, or leave me a comment here on my blog.
See you all tomorrow.

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