Hump day gratitude

at its finest

I have a great deal of gratitude to share today. Join me in celebrating all of my readers, one reader in particular, and a random woman I met today.

Welcoming my November subscribers, Vance, Desi, Michelle J, Rosalynn T, Kathleen S, Sandra W, Barbara H, Kathy K, Olga S, Josh P, and Ali V. I am beyond grateful that you are here. 

Next, I wanted to announce the drawing winner for a paid subscription to Tales of a Wayward Yogini. I mentioned this drawing several weeks ago, a generous gift from a reader who describes herself as my number one fan, Vicki with an I, who wanted to donate a paid subscription to one of my readers. (I apologize for the delay, the trip to Baltimore set me back.) 

Drum roll, please; the winner is Trula D. Thank you, Vicki, for your generous support. 

Next up, I awoke this morning to a message from FB telling me I had earned a FB badge this week for being in the top three percent of Rising Creators. While I have no idea what a rising creator is, I sure like the sound of it, and it turns out the badge will be displayed on my business page @waywardyogini for the week. 

For those of you my age, remember “Queen for a Day?” If not, click this link.

I love Queen Elizabeth!

I’m feeling a bit like a queen. With news like this, I’m likely to get a big head. But not to worry, Rick has already begun the work to widen the doorways so that I can move freely throughout the house. And I’ve ordered that cute little Queen for a Day outfit which I can parade around the house in. (Poor Rickie.)

Humor aside, I was excited to receive the message because, if nothing else, it means people are reading and engaging with my posts… those people are YOU. I am more grateful than I can say in a hump day post. But please know I appreciate you.

The last item on my list today— during the holidays, we ask for donations at Crate and Barrel, working in conjunction with Feeding America. $1 feeds 10 people in the community. Already on a roll today, having become a queen in my own rite, I was enjoying my day, helping customers find just that right gift, chatting about the holidays, the dinners, the decorations, and of course, asking for donations. 

In the last fifteen minutes of my shift, helping a lovely woman purchase a few Christmas decorations, she donated $200, the amount our store still needed to reach its goal for the day. I hadn’t even yet asked her to donate. 

Of course, my throat closed instantly, and tears sprang to my eyes. Her generous donation will feed 2000 people (many in our community) over this holiday season. She clearly had the means, and fortunately, she trusted the organization and the cause. 

I have long since stopped apologizing for my tears, so I thanked her for her generosity, admitting that I was a crier and she had touched my heart with such a generous donation. She responded that she, too, was a crier. 

My co-worker at the counter radioed to the store employees that I had received a $200 donation. The multitude of responses from the personnel celebrating this woman was such that I had to remove my earphones to continue chatting with her, but I let her know that my earpiece was lighting up in gratitude.

She accepted our thanks with an understated elegance. 

I learned something from her today. It’s so easy to become jaded when it comes to organizations trying to help. Everywhere we go, someone is asking for a handout. And in many instances, we might be the wiser to mistrust. 

From here on out, I will focus on one or two causes that appeal to me and that I trust, and then I will make it my goal to rise to the level of this lovely unknown woman today— just making a difference and not asking for anything in return. 

Chime in; I would love to hear from you.