November brings with it cooler weather, leaves of gold and the feeling of thanks in the air. It’s the perfect time to begin a practice of gratitude. You Know Neen is hosting the 2nd Annual 30 Days of Gratitude blog series, a place where the experience of gratitude will be explored and shared. I, along with several other contributors will be sharing our thoughts on all things gratitude.
I am loving this year’s #30DaysofGratitude series. I am loving all the guest bloggers, all the responses we are getting, all the love and all the thanks. It’s almost too much fun for me to handle. Gratitude breeds more gratitude. So much so, I’ve been compiling a list. I changed up my gratitude journal this week and have been writing just one word a night and a brief explanation.
I will share the top 15 things (in no specific order) I am grateful for. This week….
- Family: My Hubs. My babies. My mom and my brothers and SIL and nieces and nephew and my fairy godmother and cousins and uncles…. OH my. How is it possible to have so much love running through my blood?
- Motherhood: Motherhood has been the single most fascinating, glorious and insane teacher I’ve ever experienced. I have fallen, I have risen, I have fallen again. I have learned the most about who I am and how to love from being a mom to my babes.
- Dancing in the Kitchen: I am so grateful to dance in my kitchen to everything from 90s rap and hip hop to Taylor Swift to Hamilton to 80s rock. I love it, my kids hate it (but I think they secretly love it) and I always think of my Dad while I’m groovin’.
- XM Radio: This is one of my favorite indulgences. Like, ever.
- Life: To life, to life L’Chaim! I GET to be here. I GET to be here and participate and LIVE this thing called life. And I’m gonna do it. Every day. I’m gonna live and fall and get up. I will sing and dance and cry and screw up every day. And I will keep on going because life? It’s for the living.
- My dog: Who knew I would become a dog person? I adore my dog. I adore her simplicity, her soul, her way of just being in the moment and allowing me to always just be me.
- Voting: Whenever I walk into a voting booth, I feel a sense of calm, a quiet sense of reverence. I feel that so many have gone before me to allow me this right.
- Encouragement: I am so lucky to have people who lift me up and encourage me to reach higher and to always keep going.
- Writing: Having the ability to write and share and publish my words? It’s priceless. Writing fills me up and makes me feel like who I am supposed to be.
- Friends: OH GOD MY FRIENDS. My mom squad, my loves, my secret keepers, my guardians, my fashion police, my parenting gurus, my ‘move a body friend.’ I am forever grateful. For a girl who loves words, there are not enough words to express my gratitude for my friends.
- Where I live: I am beyond blessed to live in a home filled with warmth on a block filled with great families and trees and green grass. I am blessed to live in a neighborhood with great schools and safe streets. Blessed.
- The water: I get to see the water every day. I’m not far from my beloved Lake Michigan. The water soothes, the water restores.
- Red wine: Do I have to explain?
- Facebook: Um, hello? I love being connected to so many of you. To stay in touch, to reconnect, to get to know you. Love it.
- YOU: I’m grateful for you, sweet reader. For letting me into your life, to read my words, to listen and to see me. Thank you, thank you, a thousand thank yous!
Are you starting your gratitude practice? What are you grateful for today?
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