The Path (Less Travelled) to Gratitude – Reflections on gratitude, grace, and the long road to becoming.
This morning, I opened my inbox to find a couple of kind replies from my latest email campaign. Simple notes, really, but they landed with the weight of gold. One person wrote, “It’s so nice to see all of your talents under one roof.”
That line made me pause.
Because while it may look like everything has come together – websites refreshed, Etsy up and running, links all working, latest project realized at last, none of this arrived through luck or convenience, despite my many blessings. It came from sheer determination, doggedness, tenacity, and a willingness to keep moving through the tough stretches.
I could easily have let my blessings sit quietly in a drawer. There were plenty of times I almost did. But even now, this late in the game, they keep tapping me on the shoulder – whispering, “Not yet. Share this.” And I feel a responsibility to do just that.
I’m no Mother Teresa by any stretch, but I do know what it feels like when someone needs help, guidance, or a bit of comfort. I can’t look away. It’s both my gift and, occasionally, my undoing. But here we are. My way of balancing that pull is by sharing the song in my heart – whether through sound, or story. If it lightens a heavy moment, inspires someone to try again, or simply turns up the corners of a smile… that’s enough.
I’ve worked very hard to affect change in my own reality, and I believe we all have that same power. Each of us can be the change we want to see in our world, both individually and globally. It starts with small, daily choices: choosing kindness over reaction, curiosity over fear, and gratitude over lack.
Now, at sixty-six, I feel like I’m finally finding my stride – a late bloomer who’s learned that faith doesn’t mean the absence of doubt; it means moving forward anyway. I’ve had my share of missteps, regrets, and abandoned projects, but somehow the creative spark keeps reigniting. Maybe that’s what living under the Venus influence – born with Taurus sun and moon, and Libra rising – is all about grounded persistence wrapped in a love of beauty and balance.
I’ve been a star-gazer, sign-watcher, and amateur numerologist since my teenage years. Back then, as a quiet and often solitary dreamer, it helped me make sense of the invisible hands guiding the tougher times. I’d laugh and blame it on the moon or Mercury retrograde when things went awry – but deep down, I’ve always known when to rein it in and when to let it loose.
Today is 10/10/2025 – a date numerologists recognize as carrying the master number 11, symbolizing transformation, awakening, and alignment. This October combo won’t appear again until 2034, so it feels like the Universe itself is saying, “Now or much later.” And wouldn’t you know it – all my proverbial ducks are finally in a row. So if you’re ready, let’s not miss this window. Let’s start something new, something bold, something beautifully earth-shattering – in the best possible way.
And yes, karma is always watching. That switch is always on. So I try – however imperfectly, to stay mindful, grateful, and open to whatever lesson comes next.
The path I walk may be less travelled, sometimes lonely, but always rewarding. I’m grateful for the people who cross it, for the unseen hands that guide it, and for the reminder that joy is not a finish line – it’s a frequency.
So here’s to the quiet workers, the creators, the helpers, and the stubborn souls who keep showing up. May we all keep sharing our light – even when it flickers, because someone out there needs to see it glow.
LUCY TOPPETTA 