The Gratitude Project
Day 72
I started “The Gratitude Project” over on Facebook, beginning January 1st 2026. I’ve committed to 365 days of posting something ‘worthy’ on this subject. In 2024 I mused about LOVE for 366 days, followed by 365 days of PEACE in 2025 (we needed that, still do).
The daily reflections are unplanned and are allowed to divinely come in each morning during coffee consumption. Sometimes they are spurred-on by world events, sometimes an interraction with another human, photographs and memories, or research on the subject — they can come from everywhere and nowhere.
This entry is from Day 72 of this year, where the news and subsequent ripples in our collective waters invoked a memory, from my early childhood days, in my hometown of San Diego.
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It’s the early 60s, I’m at school, the air raid sirens were tested once a week. In my kindergarten class I’m learning how to tie my shoes, share with others, take group naps, write my ABCs, and…do duck and cover drills. I can still hear those sirens in my minds’ ears. The beauty of being 5 or 6 was that I never had a clue what those sirens were about. I just did what our teacher told us to do. “Okay class, everyone quietly get under your desk.” I had no fear during these drills and am grateful that no “big person” tried to explain it. Even if they had it couldn’t have been comprehended. I lived a blissful life as a child, in that regard. And now as an educated adult, I more that understand. Those desks were in no way, shape, or form going to save my life in the event of…
The recent memo from our local Sheriff’s department citing they would be beefing up their presence due to the “activity” in the Middle East. Transcribed by me as, “the unnecessary war” started in Iran. That memo was followed by the warnings coming from our FBI, that California is a possible target due to same. These events triggered my inner-child’s memory of a time in history she didn’t understand or fear. This is not the case now.
I can still see my grandmother stashing food and water supplies under the raised foundation of their home. The cold war people, still living in fear of possible invasions and nuclear war. My uncle raising a fist to the sky still cursing at the Japanese or “Japs”. All so surreal, as a child.
The naivety inherently present in a child. It’s a wonderful thing. Much gratitude for that. Which brings me to the subject of the little girls in Iran who died innocently and without warning on that first day of this “unnecessary war”. I hope, for their sake, the latter was true. Without warning and wihtout knowing about their unnecessary and tragic end.
I would be grateful for that, for them. 💔
