Especially in the world we live in right now it’s so important that we take a moment to sit back and reflect on all the blessings we have in our lives. There is so much good right in front of us that we take for granted.
To that end, a very popular trend on social media is to post something you are grateful for every day in November. I didn’t do that for a several reasons, so I’m doing it all in one fell swoop today.
Note- these are in the order they come to mind, so after the first few there is no rhyme or reason to the order.
#1 Pat. My husband is my rock, my safe place, my biggest cheerleader. He has faith in me when I have none in myself. He has truly seen me at my worst and loves me anyway. He loves me for who I am and doesn’t try to control me.
#2 My cats. Cats in general are awesome of course. But I have 3 very special fuzzbutts who share my home and I could not imagine life without them. Boots is my special bonded girl. Lilly is my fierce mama bear and Oreo is our jokester and clown. Dogs can be OK, but dogs don’t purr.
#3 My home. I’ve had people ask me where I want to move when I retire. My answer? The only places I plan to move are the nursing home or the cemetery. I have everything I need right here so why would I go anywhere else?
#4 My niece Ava. She is the closest thing I will have to a daughter and I love her with all my heart. She is smart and talented and kind and funny and amazing.
#5 My nephew Luke. I love him to bits. He’s the one who made me an aunt and it’s been amazing watching him grow up into the young man he is today.
#6 My sister Pam. We are wildly different people. We butt heads from time to time. If we weren’t sisters we would not be friends because we have very little in common outside of shared DNA. But I love her so much and I love that she has some amazing kids.
#7 My parents. Am I the black sheep and butt heads with them frequently? Yes. Do they understand me? Probably not. But the older I get the more I appreciate them. I know how fortunate I am that they are both still with us and in good health.
#8 My job. I work for a stable, growing company that’s been very good to me for almost 18 years and counting. I work with great people too!
#9 Community bands. I currently play clarinet with 2 local groups- the North Iowa Concert Band and the Hampton Municipal band. I enjoy these groups so much and I’ve so lucky to have these opportunities to play music.
#10 Football. I love football. The NFL has its flaws but at the end of the day I love the excitement, the drama, the upsets- everything except the Cowboys. I hate the Cowboys. And the Patriots. But I digress.
#11 Friends. Whether new or old, I have solid friends who have my back and support me unconditionally. I don’t tell them often enough how much they mean to me. I need to do a better job with that.
#12 YouTube. I love series like Good Mythical Morning and If the NFL was Scripted. I enjoy tons of football content, comic content, and informational content. Like most things in life it has some flaws, but it’s been so useful/ helpful for me. I really discovered its usefulness during COVID and I’m so glad I did.
#13 Anti depressants. I don’t think I would be alive today without them.
#14 ULTA. I’ve had so many bonding moments with my niece Ava there, and I’ve learned a lot about skin care and make up there.
#15 The internet. Yes it’s caused a lot of harm, but it’s allowed me to connect with people I never would have otherwise, and stay in touch with people many miles away from me. It allows me to find pants that come all the way to my feet and clothes that I feel good in. And have a blog!
#16 Libraries. My quest to have less screens in my life has rekindled my love of reading and libraries. So much so that I am now on the library board in my town.
#17 (Most of ) the rest of my family. I just spent 2 days with them and for the most part we are good people and we do our best for each other.
#18 My church. I have a lovely faith family at my local church. And I love the United Methodist Church’s emphasis on putting faith into action.
#19 The Great British Baking Show and all its spin offs. It is such a wholesome, sweet show and it’s just the perfect way to forget about all the world’s problems for a while.
#20 Bon Jovi. I have been a fan for 40 years. And of course Jon Bon Jovi is the hottest man alive.
#21 Duluth MN. My happy place. I have amazing memories of childhood vacations and now a whole new set of memories of great trips as an adult. I can’t explain why but being there just makes me happy.
#22 Dancing with the Stars. Is it cheesy? Yes. Do they really push the definition of the word “Star”? Also yes. Do I obsess about it every season? Also also yes.
#23 Pizza. Even when it’s bad it’s still pretty good. How many other foods can you say that about?
#24 Anti-depressants. These should be higher up on the list but I’m to lazy to redo everything. I don’t think I would be alive today without them. That is not hyperbole.
#25 Mayor Pete. I hope very much to be able to vote for him for President someday. He gives me hope that we can come back from the awful place this country is in right now. We need more politicians like him- people who truly understand what “public service” means.
#26 Living in the Midwest. Sure the weather can be brutal. But we don’t have hurricanes or earthquakes. We know our neighbors and we take care of each other. We really are as nice as people say we are.
#27 Modern medicine. I have mental illnesses, diabetes, high blood pressure and sleep apnea. 100 years ago I would have been dead well before I hit 40.
#28 My car. I never thought I would own a subcompact crossover SUV. But my Kia Soul is the best car I’ve ever had and I intend to drive it until the wheels fall off.
#29 Kansas City BBQ and its availability close to me. Kansas City BBQ is the best version of American BBQ and no I am not open to any debate on that.
#30 You folks who actually read the silly, random things I write. I say this blog is mostly therapy, and sometimes it is, but I do appreciate that you stop by my little corner of the interwebs 🙂