Things I am Grateful For As The Year Draws To A Close
Pausing To Be Grateful
Happy new week dear friend!
In the last couple of weeks, we have been discussing the different aspects of self-care and even though we aren’t done on that topic - not by a mile, I want to take a detour from our self-care series this week to focus on thanksgiving. Last week folks in the US celebrated Thanksgiving and though every day gives us a reason to be grateful we normally wait for the big events to do this.
On my daily walk, I noticed the trees have all changed colours now and the weather is now much colder and in the single digits. As strange as it might sound, I love this time of the year and the cooler temperatures. When I got up this morning the weather was surprisingly good, sunny but still cold.
I went straight ahead to put the bread dough I had prepped the night before in the oven and before I finished my partner came to the kitchen with a smile and good morning. This made me think of how grateful I am for where I currently am in life and I still had so much to be grateful for.
If you have been following me you will know I do like to take a step back and appreciate things, situations and events from time to time. So in this week’s newsletter, I would like to share 10 things I am truly grateful for and this is by no means exhaustive.
Grateful for the gift of life and health: I can not stop saying thank you to God for the gift of my life, my family’s, loved ones, my friends and to you reading. We are almost through to the end of the year that is to say we have roughly 4 weeks to the end of the year and if you are here like me in good health then I say a big thank you again.
Grateful for my partner, I realised that we have a tendency to take each other for granted but for all the person he is and all the things he does.
Gratitude for the health and lives of my loved ones - I can’t stress this enough but every day I get to enjoy great health with my family and big belly laughs are more than enough reason for me to be grateful. This one point here is a constant in my daily gratituding for I never take it for granted.
Grateful for a really good family visit with my in-laws. I know how a lot of people have issues with their partner’s family so I really appreciate that I get on very well with and the time spent together is always a great experience.
Gratitude for the warmth in our home. I cannot imagine what it will be like sleeping out in the cold or not having heat because from the little experience I had just getting outside to get into the car my in-laws I am humbled and can only express gratitude for the abundance of warmth and coziness I have in our little haven.
Grateful for the peace we experience currently. I cannot comprehend what it must be like to live in a country or place where there is turmoil being afraid of your life and that of your loved ones, and for this reason I am truly grateful that I can move around freely.
Gratitude for my rediscovery of my love for crocheting. Yes, this might seem not as trivial but I am expressing gratitude for both the big and small so I am happy and grateful to have picked up my crocheting again as this is another great way for me to relax and at the same time be creative.
Grateful for my dear friend and our mastermind which is about to commence again after a break. I missed out on catchups but I am grateful that we had the opportunity to take some time apart to attend to other things whilst still keeping each other in the loop.
Grateful for this newsletter and my ability to continue writing week after week. Yes, it’s been over 2 years, and I am still at it. I am grateful for the inspiration and determination to come out every week and share some tips with you all.
Gratitude for this new chapter. - It sometimes felt daunting but never unsettling when I first made the decision to relocate. The weeks and days leading up were hectic but today from where I sit I am just so grateful for taking the leap and doing this. It can be scary at times to close a chapter to open a new one and start with a blank slate but this time I have a draft of this new chapter and more experience so I take consolation in the fact that I am divinely guided and protected at all times and God and the Universe have my back.
There are still so many things I could pen down, but for now, this is me scratching the surface of my gratitude list as we near the end of 2024. Experiences, gestures, achievements and feelings that can’t be undervalued in any way are the things that make my heart full on a daily basis.
So, as we start a new week and without knowing how the year has treated you, I just want to encourage you that if you are here reading take a few minutes to acknowledge the goodness in your life, for what we praise will increase, and what we complain about will remain.
Affirmation: I exhale worry and inhale joy.