The Rosie and Roula Show

145: What Are You Grateful For Today? How Gratitude Can Change The Way We See Life

• Roula Abou Haidar and Rosie Burrows

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In this heartfelt episode, Roula and Rosie dive into the power of gratitude and why pausing to reflect on life’s blessings—big and small—can transform the way we see the world. Rosie shares how a surprising TikTok comment led her to start posting daily gratitude lists, while Roula opens up about the complex feelings of being more present for her son now compared to when her daughters were younger. Together, they explore themes of community support, resilience, family, health, and relationships. 

✨ You’ll hear stories about: 

  • How strangers on the internet crowdfunded Rosie’s van repairs 💛 
  • Why it’s often strangers—not friends—who show up for us in surprising ways 
  • Balancing gratitude with bittersweet reflections on parenting 
  • Being thankful for health, love, and simply having choices 

This episode is a gentle reminder that gratitude is not about ignoring challenges—it’s about noticing the light that shines through them. 🌟 

Keywords: gratitude podcast, daily gratitude practice, family and parenting reflections, gratitude TikTok, gratitude in relationships, mental health podcast, van life gratitude, strangers support crowdfunding, positive mindset podcast 

 

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Roula (00:12)
Rosy, rosy.

Rosie (00:14)
Roula Roula!

Roula (00:16)
It's been a while you're posting on TikTok everyday 3 things you are grateful for.

Rosie (00:21)
I see you've been going through my profile. ⁓ Yeah, well, thank you. You know what triggered it? Is I got a comment on one of my videos.

Roula (00:23)
Can you tell me why?

Yeah, that's the only profile I'm going through.

Rosie (00:37)
I think it was something along the lines of does anything ever go right for you?

And I just went, huh? Like, what? It didn't make sense to me. And I thought, am I portraying on my TikTok account that things just constantly go wrong? And I really started reflecting on how I put things across. And I went through my old content and a friend did too. And she went, no, you don't come across negative at all. And I said, well, good.

Yes, shit has gone wrong. There's been mechanical issues, electrical issues, this, that, and the other. And it's, it has been challenging. But I thought, you know what? I think it's important to acknowledge what we're grateful for. and so I just, I just started doing it and actually I haven't posted on there in a little while what I'm grateful for. So thank you for the reminder. ⁓ but yeah, that's what triggered it. Someone going, does anything ever go right for you? And I just thought that was really weird comment.

Some people just focus on the negative.

Roula (01:44)
So for our listeners who don't know you on TikTok, most TikTok account of Rosie is mostly talking about her van, mechanical issues, how she's fixing it, getting the, trying to get companies to support her. It's very focused on one topic that is her van, fixing her van to get back on the road.

Rosie (02:11)
And you know what? Most comments I get are like, you go girl, like this is so inspiring, I wish I could do that. That is generally the feedback. So getting this comment out of the blue, I thought, whoa.

Yeah, that's what started it. And I think it's important to kind of acknowledge, hey, there is good stuff going on.

Roula (02:28)
Alright.

So the question for today will be, what are we grateful for today?

Rosie (02:38)
Yeah, get to it.

Okay,

you know something that's been on my mind a lot for the past week or so is I have been crowdfunding to help me get my van back on the road specifically for the electrical side of things and I have raised over $7,000 mostly through strangers on the internet and that blows

my mind. It still doesn't feel real, but why it's come to the forefront, particularly or especially over the past couple of weeks, is I've been able to start buying components for my system. Actually buying it. Seven months ago, that didn't even seem like a possibility. I'd spent all my money trying to fix the van and it hadn't fixed it and I was in a bit of a pickle.

But here I am, able to purchase high quality components. Like today, the batteries arrived and a solar panel and the other day an aircon arrived. That's so luxurious. Is there something I'm grateful for?

Roula (03:47)
necessary if

you're in a tin box with a 35 degree sun.

Rosie (03:52)
Yeah, it does get uncomfortable. So something I'm really grateful for is just all the people who have invested time, energy, money, and their belief in me. I am so grateful for that. I wouldn't be where I am now without these people. And a lot of them are people I have never met in real life. They found me through the internet, through my content on TikTok. They have supported me more than the people I know in real life.

Wow.

Roula (04:23)
Yes. How often does this happen? And now maybe it's a sidetrack because I also had this experience that strangers support. Maybe the people around don't because they feel they don't you don't need them. And I'm saying this because in 2014 was it? I can't remember when an explosion happened in Beirut.

harbor of Beirut. No, not 2014. 2020? Not a long time ago. A few years ago. So the explosion happened and someone from Lebanon reached out for me because she knows a couple of families who lost their houses and they have no means to rebuild them and they're not getting any help. So I started crowdfunding to help these people.

Rosie (05:09)
Mm.

Roula (05:22)
A lot of strangers, colleagues helped. Maybe one or two friends from all my circle of people. But and I'm not saying my friends are not good, etc. What I'm saying is that sometimes close people do not donate or help because they think it will embarrass you or you don't need them. Or this request is for others, not for them. I don't know why.

Rosie (05:29)
Wow.

Hahaha!

It's interesting, yeah.

Roula (05:50)
And a lot of friends eventually after I asked over and over again, please can you help? They did help, but it doesn't come natural to the people around you. It comes more natural to strangers. Why? I don't know why. This only show us that there is goodness in the world even from strangers. We should not forget that. I'm grateful for that.

Rosie (06:01)
Mmm.

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. And this whole experience for me has been incredibly humbling.

It's, yeah, wow. I don't have words, but that is something I am very grateful for. That's enough about me. Roula, what's something you are grateful for?

Roula (06:38)
Yes. I'm grateful for... This is a knife that cuts on both sides for me. I'm grateful that I'm able to be at home these days and support my son and be present for him. I'm really grateful for that. At the same time, it hurts me because I couldn't be present for my daughters.

Rosie (06:47)
⁓

Hmm.

Roula (07:07)
I had to work full time and do that thing. So that's, I was thinking today I had a smile on my face. I'm so happy I'm here for Liam when he needs me all day long. And then I'm like, ⁓ shit, but I couldn't be there for Mila and Jana all day long. So my grateful feeling felt confused.

Rosie (07:12)
Mmm.

Mm.

Yeah, yeah, I can imagine that would be really difficult. And it's one of those moments, I think, where it's like, well, I was in a different place then to where you are now. And I mean, the fact you reflected on that's beautiful. Not that, I don't know if there were feelings of guilt. I don't think you should have that, but I think it's a very natural feeling to look back and go, ⁓ they missed out on that. I wish I could have done that.

But also, yeah, how beautiful is it that you can do it now? Wow.

Roula (08:07)
Yes,

but I'm also grateful that I'm here for my daughters now. I'm present and available whenever they need me. So yes, this is something I'm grateful for. When this question popped in my mind in the morning, I should have wrote some notes because I felt grateful for a few things that now like well.

Rosie (08:11)
Yeah, right.

Mm-hmm ⁓

Isn't it funny when we put on the spot,

it's, we really go, But I, ⁓ yeah, I want to be more mindful about recognising the things I am grateful for. Cause I think there's a, there's a lot of things to be grateful for, big or small. It all, it all counts.

Roula (08:38)
Yes.

Yeah, I'm also grateful that despite that I'm 24-7 with my husband every day, we are having great time together.

Rosie (08:52)
Mmm.

Roula (08:54)
I'm grateful for that because this wasn't like this few years ago, of course. We grew in our relationship. So I'm grateful for tolerating each other in the house ⁓ and still feel the love. ⁓

Rosie (09:00)
Yeah, yeah.

Yeah

Yeah, it sounds like you're thriving.

Roula (09:12)
Yes. So.

Rosie (09:13)
So listeners,

I cut you off then. What would you like to say?

Roula (09:21)
I wanted to know if there's anything else you're grateful for today.

Rosie (09:25)
⁓

Mmm. You know, I'm grateful that I have.

my health and the physical ability to be able to work on my van. I was up on the roof today painting it and repairing it and I've been doing mechanical work on it.

You know, there are a lot of older people around me at the caravan park and I can see that there are physical limitations. And I think to myself, that must be really hard. And then I go, but wow, I'm able to do these things and I am so grateful for that. I have the choice. I don't have to do all this physical stuff, but I have the choice. And if I want to do it, I can. That's so cool.

Roula (10:19)
True. That's a wonderful thing to be grateful for. Yes. I said I'm grateful for two things. I cannot think of a third one for the moment. The day has just started. Maybe later on today. I mean, I'll be grateful once I can figure out what I'm going to have for lunch before I go to my fitness class, fitness session. That's also something.

Rosie (10:22)
Thank you. What about you?

Excuses. True. You can message me.

Mmm, yeah, I need to think about what I'm having for dinner.

Yeah. So listeners, have a think about what you're grateful for. And we'd love to hear it. If you feel comfortable sharing, write a comment on YouTube or Spotify, send us a voice message. You can send us an email as well. We love hearing from you. Definitely makes my day. It's something I'm very grateful for.

Roula (11:02)
Yeah,

makes me think, makes me open up my eyes and my ears.

Rosie (11:04)
Mmm!

Yeah, absolutely. We'll catch you in the next episode. Bye! ⁓

Roula (11:10)
Thank you for listening. Bye.