Real Women of Gaming

Gratitude is such a big word that elicits many different emotions on any day. But now, more than ever, we feel that gratitude that deserves some focus. So we asked the staff here at Real of Gaming what they are grateful for.

Here’s what they said.

Soliyra is grateful for this excerpt from Great Tide Rising by Kathleen Dean Moore. Highly recommend giving it a read, here on ramblingreaders.org.

Murl had this answer: I’m grateful for a brilliantly colorful fall. It’s my favorite season. In Kentucky, especially stuck in the Ohio River Valley, the humidity is certainly one of the circles of hell. But come autumn, the air finally feels crisp. The leaves crunch under my feet. I can see the bright orange of the sugar maple in my backyard. My dog Mona, mostly blind now at 14, finds extra joy to jump down into a pile of leaves that collects below a step on my deck, stomping her little paws on the leaves…I can’t help but smile at how happy she is. 

PhoenixNymphy has many things to be grateful for this year, but mostly they are glad they live in California. 

MartianKat wanted to share some words of wisdom.

“Sometimes, it’s hard to see the positive things when everything feels like it’s going wrong. So, to turn that thinking around, here are a few things I’m thankful for:

My family. I’ve been going through some stuff, and I’m very fortunate to have a supportive family that has been patient and understanding. Especially my partner, the light and love of my life. 

Art. Writing and digital art have allowed me to express my feelings positively. When I am stressed, angry, or sad, I know that if I can just create something, I’ll start to feel better. 

Community. I’m very thankful for gaming and the communities it’s led me to. Big luv to my Real Women of Gaming and Martian fam for just being there. I am thankful for all of you and appreciate the support and care you’ve shown me.

Cmdrjoop had this to say: I am grateful for all of the wonderful people I have met through streaming, especially these days. Not just because they’re all fun and wonderful people, but also because they serve as a reminder that I am not alone in the world, and there is still good and beauty out there no matter how dark things feels.

Muzicchick passed on this sentiment: I’m grateful that I was given the gift to make music.  It has got me through so many things in life and the fact that I get to teach and inspire kids how to make music means everything to me and I’m forever thankful that every day I get to do something I love.

CrymsonPleasure had this to add: I am thankful for my daughter, my husband, my unconditionally supportive besties and Real Women of Gaming & our community. I’m surrounded by amazing people who love me and I love them. You all keep me going when it feels too hard to keep moving.

Solidos had a very sincere answer: When the question comes up. I know that I have the usual answers. Being thankful for my spouse, the family members that contribute positive things in my life, and friends (which are often the family you build). But there are some unique answers that I can add. Some co-workers who help keep me going at work by just being themselves. 

The thing I believe I’m most thankful for this year are my memories. Like many I’ve had some downs this year and even last year. And a loss… It still hurts. I still mourn. But there were great memories created along the way. The times that taught me. The times that made me laugh. 

The times that brought me peace. The times that made me feel love. Both outgoing and receiving. Feelings that I often questioned because I doubted myself of being truly capable of understanding and feeling them. I don’t doubt myself like that anymore. I believe a friend described it as collateral beauty when her family and her lost their dog. I think it’s a fitting name. 

It’s also fitting for this to be the thing I’m most thankful for as RWOG’s To Hell and Back Again for Charity 2024 raised money to fight Alzheimer’s, a disease associated with memory loss. Our memories help shape who we are after all. And the memories of the good times I’ve been able to have, are something I cherish very much. The bad ones too, as they help me with lessons to guide me into the future. And to not take the good times for granted. So though I’m in a place of pain and sorrow. I am thankful for the memories that I got to create. The memories that prove there’s still joy to be had in life. 

And I will hold on to that idea so that I can make more

SaltyHylian had this to add:  I’m thankful for both my IRL family AND my RWOG family and friends.

And as we reflect on gratitude, I, Thia the Bard, am especially grateful for the people who have had my back and helped make me feel safe. This year has been a lot and I really needed to lean on some folks. Luckily they were there for me. I am grateful for my hyper fixations. I am thankful for the little things that make me happy. I am grateful for being in a place, mentally and physically, where I can see those bits of light in the darkness. 

I want to end with one last thought on gratitude.

It is important.

Gratitude, like hope, is difficult to obtain, much less maintain. You have to search for reasons to be grateful and hold onto them hard. It is easy to be jaded and feel hopeless. Looking for reasons to be grateful is hard but in the end, it is worth it.

We are grateful for you and you are worth it.

ALWAYS KEEP SPARKLING!!!