Written October 6, 2021
After this past year and a half of this pandemic, I really felt like I needed to sit down and think about everything that I am grateful for. What better time than now? Fall is my favorite time of the year. I always feel more at ease (even with the anxiety) and I’m more willing to sit and allow myself to relax and think. Usually it’s a recipe for disaster, but there is something about Fall that just changes all of that for me.
Rather than just list off a bunch of random things, I figured I would challenge myself to find things I am grateful for from A-Z.
A- Autumn
Autumn is my favorite season of the year. Cool air, beautiful colors of nature and overall feeling of comfort. What’s not to love?
B-Books
One of my favorite activities is sitting down and getting lost in a book. Books allow me to escape reality for a short time. My life is good, but I am human and sometimes need just a little bit of an escape.
C- Coffee
Need I say more? Without coffee, I wouldn’t be able to get through the day. It’s a lifesaver.
D- Dogs
Some of the best cuddles I ever got were from dogs. I’ve always been a dog person. They are always willing to listen and they love you unconditionally.
E- Emotions
My emotions can be all over the place. They drive me crazy and I wish I could control them better. But still, I am so grateful for them. The bad makes the good more worth the wait. Without sadness, there wouldn’t be happiness. Happiness is a wonderful feeling. I am grateful for emotions. Good and bad.
F- Family
My family is everything to me. My kids and my husband can put a smile on my face on even my darkest day. My husband and I are close with our parents and siblings as well. We are so grateful to have a large family that cares about each other.
G- God
My faith has been tested a few times in my life, but I have always found my way back to God. My faith has helped me get through hard times in my life. I am grateful to always be welcomed back when I have lost my way.
H- Health
I am in no way perfectly healthy. But I am so grateful to have an overall healthy family. When sicknesses come and go and leave behind trails of tears and exhaustion, it’s good to remember that our experience was temporary.
I- Inspirational Messages
There have been many times that I have been having a hard day and I happen to come across a positive message. I have literally seen a whole turn around in my mood by just seeing positive words written. They always seem to show up right when I need them.
J- Jokes
Dad jokes, to be specific. I can’t even tell you how many times my husband and my father have brightened the mood with their jokes. Seriously, these jokes are so terrible that they are actually hilarious.
K- Kindness
Simple acts of kindness can make a huge impact on someone. The other day, I was having an extremely stressful morning. Then I went through the Starbucks drive thru and found out that the person ahead of me paid for my order. The stress wasn’t gone, but my mood was so much better. When my mood was better, I was able to deal with the stress better.
L- Laughter
The feeling you get not just from laughing, but also from making others laugh. But the best sound is the sound of a child’s laugh. It’s so full of joy. I have recorded my kids laughing as babies and toddlers and it’s still one of my favorite things to listen to.
M- Music
We are a musical family. All of us love listening to and playing music. There are so many different kinds of music that it just works for any moment in your life. Whatever emotion you are feeling, there is a song that will fit. The fun part is finding it. Music brought my husband and I together. Without it, we never would have met. I’m grateful for it everyday.
N- Nature
Once again, I found another way for me to temporarily escape negativity. It doesn’t take away the negative things happening, but it gives me a chance to breathe in fresh air and appreciate what God has made.
O- Opportunities
The opportunities we want may not always happen. But any opportunity to do something different is a blessing. With every closed door, there is an open window. But sometimes you have to look for it. The window may be harder to get through, but it’s better than staying in the same place and being unhappy. Unless, of course, you’re happy there.
P- Prayers (Answered and Unanswered)
I’m always grateful for answered prayers. At that moment, I needed those prayers answered. But what about unanswered prayers? How can we be grateful for something we wanted but didn’t get? Well I can say with complete confidence that I am happy with my life. I believe that I am doing exactly what I was meant to. If my prayers had been answered in the past, I would have gone down a different path. I can’t say how happy I would have been in that situation, but I know that I would not have the life I have now. So I am grateful for the unanswered prayers.
Q- Quiet
Even with both kids being in school and me being a stay home mom, I still find it hard to experience complete silence. Seems crazy, right? Unfortunately, when it gets quiet, my anxiety gets loud. My brain focuses on everything I fear. So I turn on the tv or listen to music to settle my thoughts. While those activities are not bad, it doesn’t allow me to be in silence. My mind is always running. But there are the rare moments when everything is quiet and everyone is asleep. I’ve temporarily satisfied my anxiety by checking everyone to make sure they are all breathing. At that time, I can take the opportunity to just breathe and know that everything is ok.
R- Realizations
Isn’t it a wonderful feeling when you have been struggling with something and then you have an AHA moment that can fix it? The fix isn’t always easy. A lot of times, it can be really hard. We experienced this during the pandemic. We realized as a family that it wasn’t worth the heartbreak to try and save friendships with toxic people. It was an AHA moment that was hard to come to terms with, but once we finally allowed ourselves to walk away, we felt a burden lifted.
S- Showers
Sure, showers are great for getting clean, but I love them more for another reason as well. When I was a brand new mom, my husband would come home and immediately take over watching the baby so I could take a shower. Since then, even now with the kids being a bit older, showers have been a safe space. A place for me to find peace.
T- Teachers
As a former preschool teacher, I know how important teachers are. I especially feel that way now. After over a year, we returned to school to a staff that remembers our kids and welcomes them back with open arms. They make them feel comfortable and my girls love being at school.
U- Umbrellas
I love the rainy season. It’s my favorite time of year. You know what I don’t love? Getting soaked when I’m out and about. I hate dampness. Thank you umbrellas!
V- Vaccines
After this experience with the pandemic, I am so grateful for science and everything it has done to keep us safe. Vaccines were something I always received growing up but always took for granted. Having those vaccines available when I needed them has been a blessing. Having now experienced the fear of waiting for a vaccine, it made me incredibly grateful to finally receive it.
W- Waking Up
Seems so simple, right? But waking up each day is something to be grateful for. Even if you feel like everything is going wrong in your life, the opportunity to get up each day and make that day better is a blessing.
X- Xenathra
Laugh it up if you must, but x words are hard to find and this group of animals includes sloths. Who doesn’t love a sloth? They are adorable. I personally could learn a lesson from sloths about slowing down a bit. Nobody needs to be running around frantically. Do what you need to do to survive, but otherwise, just rest.
Y- Yoga
I definitely don’t do enough yoga. I’m actually quite terrible at it. So how can I be so grateful for it? Well, when I’m not awkwardly turning myself into a pretzel, I am actually relaxing, focusing on breathing and stretching my body. I tend to get stressed a lot. My muscles pay the price sometimes. Yoga can really help with that.
Z- Zoloft
Yup! I tried to find ways around it. Before starting medication, I was in the middle of some major depression and anxiety attacks. My brain had me convinced that I was a failure because I had to take meds to regulate my emotions. My anxiety had me feeling like everything in the world was wrong with me. I was literally starting to feel actual pain. But when tests came back completely normal, I knew what I had to do. After getting settled in my routine with zoloft, I have noticed a huge change. I am in no way over this battle with my mental health, but it’s nice to know I have some help.