Posted on

For a time in 2016, I wrote a gratitude list every night before bed. I kept the notebooks and when I stumble across them (like I did today) I usually flip through a few pages. Through my sloppy writing, I see how hard I was trying, in one of the worst times in my life, to find some joy each day.

The daily lists include gratitude for a conversation with a coworker, a friend reaching out, a show I was watching, the wine I was drinking, making it through a workday, buying a sword at the renaissance fair . . . I wrote them every night. I was deeply not okay, but looking back I can see how even that small practice of daily gratitude meant that I wanted to be . . . that I had faith I could get through that time and would take whatever lifejacket available.

I don’t do daily gratitude lists right now, but I do post them frequently on here. Today was a reminder why.

Sunday Gratitude:

  1. Waking up without an alarm
  2. Reading a new book while I enjoy my morning Diet Coke
  3. A morning run around the point
  4. A, dare I say, warm day (in the 40s, the sun was out, wow)
  5. Checking off my chores, one by one, early in the day
  6. Burning a candle (vanilla scented, blue and yellow for Ukraine)
  7. Reading My Hero Academia manga online
  8. Getting through most of my audiobook for work over this weekend
  9. The longer days, past seven and I can still see outside
  10. Preparing for a wedding next weekend!

With Love,

Natalie