Gratitude Revisited

It's incredible what a difference 12 hours (or so?) makes. My future mother-in-law is tucked away upstairs in a freshly made bed with a beautiful boquet of flowers next to it. And on the other side of today, I am able to identify this:

I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to get to know my future mother-in-law today. I have never chatted with her for more than 10 minutes despite having loved her son for 2 years.

I'm thankful that my future mother-in-law is not allergic to flowers.

I'm thankful that I have friends who promote self-care, getting away from it all, and in general remind me that I need to remember that there's more to life than work.

And finally...

I'm grateful that I have the financial means to be able to say, "fuck it--I need a break and I'm flying to Montana." In a few weeks I will be with my family.

21 Days of Gratitude Experiment - Day 1

I have been reading a lot about the transformative power of writing down an expression of gratitude on a regular basis. One author advocates for 21 days of gratitude: for around 5 minutes a day, sit and reflect on things that you are grateful for.

Today?

I am grateful that my commute to and from work was uneventful.
I am grateful to live in the home that I do - it is so accessible & the perfect size.
I am grateful for a quiet neighborhood, and a quiet next-door duplex resident
I am grateful for friends who are available when I need a listening ear.
I am grateful for a cat with a strong personality.

That list probably took more than 5 minutes. I wasn't looking for things to be grateful for today, and I spent a good portion of the day feeling out of sorts. Here's hoping tomorrow's list comes a little quicker....