The best things in life are the people we love.
It’s the last Friday in the month so that means it’s time for our monthly linkup party all about our Word of the Year (WOTY). Join my co-hosts Jo, Sue and Donna and share your WOTY progress with us all.
My WOTY for 2022 is GIFT and I have had a wonderful time so far this year looking at the gifts in my life. This month I’m looking at the Gift of Love.
I wrote this post about falling in love over four years ago, when I first became a grandmother. Nothing much has changed, except I am now Granny Debs to four beautiful grandchildren – 2 girls and 2 boys. I’ve had one each year since 2018, which means that this year they are aged 1, 2, 3 & 4. How cool is that?
I’m proud to be a grandmother, to know that my genes have contributed to these children’s’ makeup, who I know I will love unconditionally forever and ever. Falling in love again and again is a wonderful feeling.
It’s simple really, I love them and they love me.
Debbie
Some of my LOVES this month
L – Love for where I live, my lifestyle, my family, friends, being a grandmother, my health, my town, my house, my ability to share my thoughts through my blog. I have so much to be grateful for! I absolutely LOVED my recent trip to England to see my daughter and granddaughter and our mutual love is obvious from the first moment we were reunited.
O – Outside is the place to be at the moment, apart from the days where it’s been too wet to get outside! It’s spring time and the garden is waking up. I have tulips flowering, my magnolia is still holding on and the grass is growing! I have been trying to walk more often and even did a walk in gumboots during the week as the paddock was too wet for my usual walking shoes. I love being able to walk in the forest and riding my bike around town.
V – Lately I have loved viewing Old People’s Home for Teenagers on ABC TV. The show’s premise is: In a compelling new intergenerational experiment, older adults are brought together with teenagers to see if the power of this intergenerational program can transform the lives of older people and teenagers amid an epidemic of loneliness. It was lovely, heartwarming, and emotional – it made me sad and it made me happy at various stages. The one thing I felt deeply was sadness, that both the teenagers and older people were so lonely but through participating in the show they found joy and happiness. Hopefully they can stay in touch with each other and keep their friendships alive. Everyone needs love. Did you see this series?
E – Effervescent is a great word to describe how I felt while I was away on holidays during August. I was literally fizzing! It was pure enjoyment from start to finish. If you saw my daily Instagram and Facebook posts during that time, I’m sure you’d agree I was ebullient, excited, ecstatic and exuberant. I loved the feeling of freedom, being away from normal routine, being loved and the joy shone from my face in almost every photo I had taken – it wasn’t a fake kind of joy believe me!!
My Gifts so far this year
It’s been a great way to look for the GIFTS in the everyday with my WOTY this year:
- In July I shared the Gift of Health before heading off for a month overseas (and I took a blogging break)
- June saw me enjoy the Gift of Sunshine
- May was all about the Gift of daughters and birthdays
- April had me enjoying Gifts that keep on giving
- March had me asking the question ‘Is it even a Gift if you buy it yourself?’
- In February I celebrated Gifts in all shapes and sizes
- January I was just getting started with the Gift of GivingI
- In early January I announced my WOTY GIFT for 2022
Love is a river. Love is a mountain. Love makes you are a mountaineer.
Trent Dalton – Love Stories
What’s your biggest love at the moment?
Thanks for stopping by and I always enjoy hearing from you 🙂
- Donna’s post is here – There’s No Peace Like Home
- Sue’s post is here – Being Back on Track with a Healthy Lifestyle
- Jo is away travelling this month
Hope you can join us for the linkup.
Deb xx
You’re invited to our link party! So what’s it all about?
This year I’m joining my lovely friends and co-hosts, Donna, Jo and Sue, to provide a link party for anyone who also wants to write a monthly update to help keep the focus on their WOTY. We’re hoping you can join us.
What: 2022 Word of the Year Link Party #2022wotylinkparty
When: Last Thursday of the month PM (Northern Hemisphere)/ Last Friday of the month AM (Southern Hemisphere). The link will be open for 3 days so you’ve got plenty of time to join.
Why: To encourage us all to keep the focus on our chosen WOTY.
Where: Link Party, Blog, Blog Comments, Instagram or other Social Media.
Who: This linkup is open to everyone.
How: You can share in the comments, with a blog post, or on other social media of your choice. Include the hashtag #2022wotylinkparty so that we can find you and include your link in our posts. Whichever way you choose to share, don’t forget to leave a note in the comments so we can find you.
You can also find Deb’s World in lots of other places – stay in touch by clicking any of the buttons below.
Everyone has a story to tell! Deb is a young-at-heart & active 60+ blogger/retiree, after being made redundant from her 22-year career managing education programs in a men’s correctional centre (jail). She now spends her time reading, blogging, riding her ebike and travelling. Deb was awarded a Bravery Award from the Queen when she was 17 after a tragic accident – a definite life changing moment! She is married with 3 grown-up daughters & has 4 grandchildren. She never imagined being Granny Debs would bring so much joy to her life! You can read more of Deb’s story here
Copyright © 2023 debs-world.com – All rights reserved
Deb's World 
Hi Deb – nothing in the world beats the gift of family. Sometimes I envy those whose kids live nearby, but then I realize that it’s SUCH a buzz when I see mine after some time apart. We have our grandgirls visiting for a few days next week and we’re all excited about it (including their parents who get to have a child-free break!)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Leanne the fact that mine don’t live nearby makes me enjoy them all the more when i do get to see them but it can be quite hard nonetheless. Enjoy having the girls to visit, it will be so good to have them to yoursleves!
LikeLike
I smiled reading this post! So many wonderful reasons for the smiles too. Love for our grandchildren is like no other! And it’s something I will never take for granted, I am so glad you have had your recent visit to UK…many memories made and I loved seeing them all via the posts. Watching the last ep of Old Peoples Home for Teenagers and feeling the bittersweetness all through it. Loneliness is a very challenging time. I am pretty sure these connections do continue over time. A little aside, some of the opening shots and locale is from where I used to live..aka my parents place at Balgowlah Hts! I loved seeing those snapshots too. Trent’s book has spawned a love stories journal…I reckon your blog is just that! LOVE! Thanks for the link up. Denyse
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know you understand the grandparent feeling of love Denyse, given our prior posts on the topic! Yes the loneliness of the old people and the teenagers took me by surprise at the degree of it.
I’m keen for Trent’s Love Journal and will be putting it on my birthday list for sure. Thanks for your lovely comment and support xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi, Debbie – I believe that the gift of unconditional love is truly the greatest gift of all.
It’s so cool that you ended this post with a quote from Trent Dalton’s Love Stories. On your recommendation, I finally found a copy and finished it yesterday. It was a very powerful read! Thank you so much for suggesting it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Donna, I’m thrilled you enjoyed Trent’s book, it really was a love story from start to finish! As Denyse said in her comment there is now a journal released in a similar vein and I might just request it for my birthday 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Deb you were fizzing whilst you were in the UK and it was wonderful to see all of your photos – the love and happiness was shining through. Your WOTY has proven to be a wonderful GIFT in many ways and not just for you. I believe your posts have made us all focus on the GIFTS we have in life so I thank you for that. You are also a great co-host and friend. xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m glad you could see I was ‘fizzing’ while away on my trip 🙂 I’m loving my WOTY and see our friendship as a fabulous gift xx
LikeLike
Hi Debbie, The gift of unconditional love is truly the greatest gift of all. I love how happy you, Melanie and Dottie look in your picture. Thank you for hosting #2022woty link party with Donna and Sue this month. I added my link. Have a wonderful week!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was like that photo every day for the whole month we were away Natalie, so much love and happiness! Thanks for joining the linkup.
LikeLike
The grandmother LOVE was so obvious. It’s just the best feeling and how cool you have 4,3,2,1! I have 5 and 3 and a baby coming in April!! Bernie
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes I think I made the grandmother love pretty obvious Bernie!!! A new baby due in April is so exciting 🙂
LikeLike
Me too!! Also in April. How cool!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful, Deb.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Toni, hope all is going well with you xx
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happy October Deb. Thanks for the virtual coffee, it is a lovely post.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you enjoyed your visit! All the best to you for October too 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Grandmother love is the best, isn’t it Debbie? It is such a beautiful feeling to have been a part of creating those wonderful beings. In our blended family, we have 10 grandchildren; the oldest is 22, and the youngest just turned 13. I couldn’t love them more.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s like talking to the converted Christie! You are so lucky to have the relationships with your grandchildren too, and over a lovely spread of age groups :). Thanks for understanding my thoughts xx
LikeLike
I really liked following your trip on Instagram! And I loved reading about how you’re enjoying spring – isn’t it an absolutely fantastic time of the year!
To answer your question at the end – my greatest love right now is seeing the results of my strength training, and how it has increased my overall wellbeing and physical condition – I just started running too!
Sadly I won’t be joining the link-up this month either – I have too much on my plate and everything is messy around here (we’re doing some works on the house) so my head is too scattered to write – but what I can say is that my CALM project is going well. I’ll be back later in the year to share more about it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed following along on Instagram Susanne! I had an absolute ball doing it every day which actually surprised me.
Well done on your strength training and improvements, it’s so important as we get older isn’t it? Glad to hear your CALM project is going well and look forward to hearing more.
LikeLike
That montage is so beautiful, Deb.
I loved watching the show about old people and toddlers and I’m sure the one with teenagers will be awesome too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love the montage too Corinne and it’s such a great memory for us to have. The teenagers and old people was well worth watching if you can get to see it. Quite uplifting!
LikeLike
You are truly blessed with your gift of family and the ability to see them often, Debbie! I’m still waiting for daughter #2 to marry and have kids. She is close! I have a two step grandkids 1500 miles away, who are wonderful. Enjoy the beginnings of spring my friend!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am so fortunate Terri and I never take it for granted! Spring has been wet but hopefully it will start warming up soon. Thanks 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
A marvelous read.
Our families are similar Deb,
My wife was 19 when we got married, I was 24.
We have three kids, but we have two sons with a daughter in the middle, but we don’t have grand-kids yet.
Blessings to you and yours.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Gary, I do enjoy my monthly posts on my Word of the Year as it makes me take note of what’s going on and not just letting it all slide by! Yes there are some similarities in our families, you need some grandchildren though 🙂
LikeLike
Hi Deb. The program, “Old People’s Home For teenagers,” Sounds like it would be right up my alley. I love dramas, that stir up emotional feelings. I hope to find the program where we are. We’ll have a chance to see my son, and family, this November, to celebrate Thanksgiving, together. It will have been 10 years, since we’ve spent time with our son! Really looking forward to it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh Christina, you are in for a treat seeing your family again after so long!! Enjoy every minute.
LikeLike
That is so neat that your grandchildren are aged 1,2,3, &4! I think it’s also so fun that there are 2 boys and 2 girls.. my mom has 11 grandchildren and only 2 are girls. I just adore that video of you and your granddaughter reuniting!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I thought so too Joanne, the ages will stay in that order as they age! The video os us reuniting is just the BEST!!! Thanks so much for your comments 🙂
LikeLike
I enjoyed your update Deb. I’m not sure how I’ve done with my WOTY. I haven’t been as intentional as I’d like to have been.
LikeLiked by 1 person