Find Your Happy Place
Thank You Notes #25
“Once you discover your happy place where you can be you, you will never settle for just any old space ever again.”
― Christine E. Szymanski
Dear Lovely Readers and Writers,
On Saturday, we visited a magical Lebanese restaurant and bakery. My husband had seen the sign out of the corner of his eye while driving a few days prior.
I felt as if we had entered a happy wonderland as soon as we stepped inside.
There were cases of delicious, fresh baked goods with pistachios, dates, pecans, walnuts, and honey.
The owner greeted us warmly as if we had just come into his home. I could tell this was his happy place, as there was an aura of positive energy there. Filled with pride and joy, he told us he baked everything himself.
His mother-in-law made the stuffed grape leaves, and he made fresh pickles for the sandwiches.
We ordered many dishes including a flatbread with my favorite za'atar spice mix and cheese, along with a few special date and nut-filled cookies.
After he packed our lunch to go, he included two free slices of cake. He told us that his mother always taught him to treat everyone as if they were a special guest in your home. How delightful!
He even helped us carry our bags to the car.
There was a twinkle in his eyes that told us he was right where he loved to be.
This encounter made me think about what a happy place means to all of us. If we are lucky, it is the place where we do our life’s work. It can also be where we go in our imagination to rest.
This week I am excited to hear about your happy place and why you appreciate it in your life.
We are celebrating 221 followers today!
Thank you, everyone, for your support of Thank You Notes!
Let us welcome our new writers this week:
The theme this week is:
Your Happy Place
Write an essay, article, or poem about your happy place. It can be a place in your home, neighborhood, in your imagination, or somewhere you traveled.
Thank you to our wonderful writers here at Thank You Notes for writing beautiful pieces this past week:
Carrie. A. Kelly wrote about her leap of faith this week! She is preparing to go on an international adventure and go all-in on her dreams. It filled my heart with joy as I read this piece, I love to see everyone reach for what they love in life. Thank you, Carrie, for sharing this loving travel piece with us here at Thank You Notes!
https://medium.com/thank-you-notes/im-facing-my-ambitious-dream-and-moving-abroad-e28f3b97fd8
Amanda Laughtland wrote two wonderful pieces this week. In her first thank you note, she appreciates a friend who was once in her life. Sometimes people do not stay forever, but the lessons they leave behind stay with us. In her second note, she thanks an experience she had with discovering she did not like office work. She is thankful she did not take that career path. Thank you, Amanda, for sharing your life with us in your thoughtful notes.
https://medium.com/thank-you-notes/dear-a-90da3650abcb
https://medium.com/thank-you-notes/thank-you-for-teaching-me-what-i-didnt-want-to-do-577880557075
Penelope Mayfield wrote a lovely piece on her dreams. I love how she strives to reach her dreams of writing, no matter what. Her attitude is beautiful, and I felt so inspired after reading her piece. Thank you, Penelope, for sharing your dream with us here at Thank You Notes!
https://medium.com/thank-you-notes/reaching-dreams-f5fd4e43166e
Kris Bedenian wrote two fantastic pieces this past week. Her first one is about respect and keeping promises. She relates some stories from her life about promises never fulfilled, and the lessons she learned from them. In her second piece, she talks about how to engage with others when you do not agree. I love the personal examples she gives from her own life in these articles. Thank you, Kris, for sharing these beautiful pieces with us this week!
https://medium.com/thank-you-notes/respect-goes-beyond-challenging-conversations-7da5ad4f57e3
https://medium.com/thank-you-notes/engaging-when-you-dont-see-eye-to-eye-learning-curve-247d42fe54c5
Bhavna Narula shared a funny and relatable piece about a spider in her home. You will love the antics of this spider and how Bhavna discovered it about ready to devour a tasty lunch. Thank you, Bhavna, for bringing humor and fun to our page!
https://medium.com/thank-you-notes/my-house-spider-got-a-yummy-lunch-or-maybe-not-f60025fc7fa1
Nancy Blackman wrote a wonderful piece about not giving up on her dream. She talks about the choices she made in life before choosing her dream of writing. I love how she decided to never give up on her hopes of becoming a writer one day. Thank you, Nancy, for sharing your life with us here at Thank You Notes!
Sharing Randomly wrote about how when she became unemployed during the pandemic, she used the time to be more creative with her endeavors. She has found a way to make some income doing things she loves. Thank you, Sharing Randomly, for writing about your dreams at Thank You Notes!
https://medium.com/thank-you-notes/having-the-courage-to-do-what-i-want-8a78580d2cd3
Ellie Jacobson wrote about how starting in the pandemic lockdown of last year, she found the courage to go for her dreams of becoming a writer. I love the steps she took to go all-in on her dream. Thank you, Ellie, for sharing your writing dreams with all of us here at Thank You Notes!
https://medium.com/thank-you-notes/moving-out-of-my-own-way-to-face-my-dreams-befd4f65efd4
Susan Poole wrote a loving piece about how grateful she is to be done with her cancer medications after many years. She appreciates the ups and downs of her cancer journey and all she learned from it. Congratulations, Susan, on your last pill! This is a big milestone. Thank you, Susan, for sharing your story with us!
Annelise Lords wrote a loving piece on the beauty of consequences and the lessons we learn from them. She is a masterful storyteller and you will love this tale. Thank you, Annelise, for showing us an appreciation of all things in life.
https://thisisanneliselords.medium.com/thanking-consequences-6ac7807d0bbb
Lucia Landini wrote a loving note to her sister for her recent visit back to her home country of Italy this September. This story is so heartwarming and it really made me smile. Thank you, Lucia, for sharing this note of gratitude with Thank You Notes!
https://medium.com/thank-you-notes/a-thank-you-note-to-my-elder-sister-2e2eeda10c92
Trista Signe Ainsworth wrote a piece about finding your joyful path to writing success. It is not all a straight line when you are on your writing journey. She shares ways to look for the light along your path and to know you are in the right place. I thank all of you for your amazing support of Thank You Notes this past week!
https://medium.com/thank-you-notes/your-lifes-joyful-purpose-b3ae7c2266e
Thank you to all of our wonderful writers here at Thank You Notes:
Aemen Farooq, Brown Boi, Carrie. A. Kelly, Lucia Landini, Karen Madej, Winston, Dazzling Shene, Norlisa Alias, Donnette Anglin, Penelope Mayfield, Pierce McIntyre, Amanda Laughtland, Neha Sandhir S, Shivi Puri, Adelia Ritchie, Amy Marley, Anthony O'Dugan, A Rustic Mind (Manali Desai), Ashley Nicole, Aurora Eliam, CMP, Kris Bedenian, Bhavna Narula, Bob Jasper, B.R. Shenoy, Brajendra Kumar, Carolyn Hastings, Destiny S. Harris, Gurpreet Dhariwal, VIRGO, Donna Brown, Desiree Driesenaar, Elle How, Ellie Jacobson, Fiza Ameen, Gauri Sirur, Ija Mei, Indubala Kachhawa, Jenine Bsharah Baines, JoAnn Ryan, John C. Davis, Juana Flor, Pene Hodge, Karen Schwartz, Katie Michaelson, Annick Batamuliza, Krishh, Kyomi O'Connor, Lanu Pitan, Lucia Sugafield, Maryam B. Mirza, Mark Hackett, Mulan, Natalie B. Kemp, Niru, Noorain Hassan, BMS, palvi sharma, Penofgold, Dr. Preeti Singh, Sara Ali, Sanjit Sengupta, Shirley Jones Luke, Susan Poole, Sahil Patel, Annelise Lords, Tree Langdon, Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles, Yana Bostongirl, Dee S White, Deborah Barchi, Sharing Randomly, Nancy Blackman, pockett dessert
