I too cherish giant dogs and geriatric dogs. They don't have to be my own dog. I hope one day my very large dog will be a contented geriatric dog.
Like Cynthia I am grateful to feel how much there is beyond the umwelt humans share and particularly to contemplate the different worlds animals perceive.
I am grateful for naturally arising colors.
I am grateful to be part of a wide assembly of creative spirits, living and making side by side across space and time.
I am grateful still to be able to dance and sing.
I am grateful to know the ocean will remain to represent me when I am gone.
Beautiful. I've been thinking more about gratitude ever since I started a journaling habit a la Molly Wizenberg (https://mollywizenberg.substack.com/p/fishing-the-minds-lake). A few things I've felt gratitude for this week include: my warm, dry, cozy bed; having the chance to start over fresh, every morning; getting my period!! (I'm 42, have two wonderful children, and live in FL. Getting pregnant at this point would be a devastation); and the delightful company of my book club.
thank you indeed. I looked out the window on this grey day, my favorite kind of day in fall, and saw the leaves at their peak - in this forest-y suburb it is magic every year.
1. My parents came to visit last week, the first time they both flew together to see us since 2018, and on school mornings they walked with us to school. Watching the various configurations of hand-holding--my mom with my son, then my daughter, and my dad likewise--as we trekked through the neighbourhood and the park filled up something in me that I didn't know was empty.
2. I am now in bed with some sort of upper respiratory infection, and my partner just brought "magic green tea" before he left for work. I don't know what this magic green tea is, exactly, but I will drink it with full faith in its powers.
3. People keep writing extraordinary books, and I get to read them. It doesn't stop. It just keeps happening.
4. I had a fever in the night, and struggled to sleep through the chills / sweats / aches, but when I woke up it was gone, and there's nothing quite like the feeling of not having a fever after having a fever.
5. The birds are singing, and we still don't totally know what it means (there's more beyond us, in other words, and somehow that seems good).
I find flashes of gratitude nearly every day. Yesterday I noticed the cobalt blue of the sky and it made my heart swell with the beauty of it. I love being with my granddaughter Riley, with her gloriously fat thighs and her constant smile. Then my heart breaks to think of the babies killed in Israel and Ukraine... we are so, so blessed. Good to remember every day.
The large blessings abound, but you asked for the small gratitudes, so here they are:
I am grateful for YOU, Courtney, for your reminder to notice the small things.
I am grateful that the sun came out here in rainy Vancouver. Now I can safely transport the huge self-portrait my grandson made to the framer’s this afternoon, not to mention that he chose me as the recipient of such a treasure.
I am grateful that my grown children and I are on the same page politically right now. It makes supporting each other easier.
I am grateful to have both a son AND a son-in-law who make me laugh.
I am grateful for the composers who created so much beauty for me to enjoy on a daily basis.
1. My oldest took himself to Urgent Care yesterday with the help of his girlfriend while I was at work. He navigated the whole thing by himself, picked up his prescriptions, and is taking control of his healing while I was still dithering about whether or not there was anything wrong in the first place. He is so aware and alive inside his own skin. I am grateful and admiring.
2. My brain has been very, very busy with thoughts on a book recently. That initial phase of giddy excitement is so delightful and I am grateful for it.
3. My 16-year old got themselves to school on time yesterday. Small thing, maybe, but seriously big gratitude.
4. I discovered cauliflower roasted in a miso dressing over the weekend and it made me excited to cook again. Thank you, emily nunn!
5. I tucked in my raised beds for winter and got the garlic planted this last weekend. Mine is no longer the wild, uncivilized yard on my block, even if I'm still wild and uncivilized. I'm grateful for both my yard and myself.
Thank you for sharing, and for this assignment! I did it over on my own site, and the endeavor freed up a lot of space for noticing and loving. And in so doing, I find humans after all might be worth fighting to save.
I too cherish giant dogs and geriatric dogs. They don't have to be my own dog. I hope one day my very large dog will be a contented geriatric dog.
Like Cynthia I am grateful to feel how much there is beyond the umwelt humans share and particularly to contemplate the different worlds animals perceive.
I am grateful for naturally arising colors.
I am grateful to be part of a wide assembly of creative spirits, living and making side by side across space and time.
I am grateful still to be able to dance and sing.
I am grateful to know the ocean will remain to represent me when I am gone.
"I am grateful to know the ocean will remain to represent me when I am gone." Would love to read more about this.
Beautiful. I've been thinking more about gratitude ever since I started a journaling habit a la Molly Wizenberg (https://mollywizenberg.substack.com/p/fishing-the-minds-lake). A few things I've felt gratitude for this week include: my warm, dry, cozy bed; having the chance to start over fresh, every morning; getting my period!! (I'm 42, have two wonderful children, and live in FL. Getting pregnant at this point would be a devastation); and the delightful company of my book club.
Real talk. Thank you.
thank you indeed. I looked out the window on this grey day, my favorite kind of day in fall, and saw the leaves at their peak - in this forest-y suburb it is magic every year.
Thank you for this.
1. My parents came to visit last week, the first time they both flew together to see us since 2018, and on school mornings they walked with us to school. Watching the various configurations of hand-holding--my mom with my son, then my daughter, and my dad likewise--as we trekked through the neighbourhood and the park filled up something in me that I didn't know was empty.
2. I am now in bed with some sort of upper respiratory infection, and my partner just brought "magic green tea" before he left for work. I don't know what this magic green tea is, exactly, but I will drink it with full faith in its powers.
3. People keep writing extraordinary books, and I get to read them. It doesn't stop. It just keeps happening.
4. I had a fever in the night, and struggled to sleep through the chills / sweats / aches, but when I woke up it was gone, and there's nothing quite like the feeling of not having a fever after having a fever.
5. The birds are singing, and we still don't totally know what it means (there's more beyond us, in other words, and somehow that seems good).
I'm so touched by the configuration of hand holding and the "magic green tea." You and your people are being loved.
I find flashes of gratitude nearly every day. Yesterday I noticed the cobalt blue of the sky and it made my heart swell with the beauty of it. I love being with my granddaughter Riley, with her gloriously fat thighs and her constant smile. Then my heart breaks to think of the babies killed in Israel and Ukraine... we are so, so blessed. Good to remember every day.
I am grateful for my mom. I still have her at 90.
I am grateful for my husband. We have 45 years of love and struggle under our belts -I’m not giving up now!
I am grateful for 2 grandkids -2 years and under. They bring joy and patience into my life in new ways.
I am grateful for friends I can be real with. It is good to know you an share your shit and still be in the pack!
I am grateful for a God who is big enough to hold all of us because we are a part of her. He/she is bigger than any pronouns we create.
The large blessings abound, but you asked for the small gratitudes, so here they are:
I am grateful for YOU, Courtney, for your reminder to notice the small things.
I am grateful that the sun came out here in rainy Vancouver. Now I can safely transport the huge self-portrait my grandson made to the framer’s this afternoon, not to mention that he chose me as the recipient of such a treasure.
I am grateful that my grown children and I are on the same page politically right now. It makes supporting each other easier.
I am grateful to have both a son AND a son-in-law who make me laugh.
I am grateful for the composers who created so much beauty for me to enjoy on a daily basis.
1. My oldest took himself to Urgent Care yesterday with the help of his girlfriend while I was at work. He navigated the whole thing by himself, picked up his prescriptions, and is taking control of his healing while I was still dithering about whether or not there was anything wrong in the first place. He is so aware and alive inside his own skin. I am grateful and admiring.
2. My brain has been very, very busy with thoughts on a book recently. That initial phase of giddy excitement is so delightful and I am grateful for it.
3. My 16-year old got themselves to school on time yesterday. Small thing, maybe, but seriously big gratitude.
4. I discovered cauliflower roasted in a miso dressing over the weekend and it made me excited to cook again. Thank you, emily nunn!
5. I tucked in my raised beds for winter and got the garlic planted this last weekend. Mine is no longer the wild, uncivilized yard on my block, even if I'm still wild and uncivilized. I'm grateful for both my yard and myself.
I'm grateful for the 250 Columbia University faculty and hundreds of CU students who have had the courage to protest for free speech on campus. DD
Thank you for sharing, and for this assignment! I did it over on my own site, and the endeavor freed up a lot of space for noticing and loving. And in so doing, I find humans after all might be worth fighting to save.