Things I'm Grateful For
Mondays are usually pretty quiet for me. Lately I’ve been spending time trying to slot myself into this new normal as we all figure out how to exist in this pandemic recovery world. Texas is experiencing an unusually wet spring, and I’ve never seen it rain this much in Texas…ever. You can practically hear the grass growing. Our dogs are starting to get lost in the grass because the ground isn’t drying out enough to get mowed super regularly. I don’t know if other people’s experiences are similar, but now it feels like all sorts of insects are trying to find places to get out of the rain, and our pest control just keeps getting washed away in this seemingly never ending stream of rain. I didn’t know that clouds could hold so much water. It’s getting warmer, so the humidity is brutal, and our dogs are perpetually damp when they can go outside, which is making them weird and a bit stir crazy. On the flip side, I’ve never seen Texas look so green.
Last week was rough – I had a migraine that lasted two days, and it just feels like the continual story of my life right now. I start to feel good and normal and then something comes and whacks me in the back of the knees and it feels like starting all over again. I’m pretty sure I’ve been forgetting to take my vitamins, so that’s not helping. Every project I have feels stalled for the moment, though I’m pretty certain that has more to do with my mood/energy levels rather than the project itself being stalled. Small issues are feeling way larger than they really are, and it’s a strange feeling. Example: I’ve spent the last two weeks trying to find a thimble that really works well for me. It’s not that the thimbles I have don’t work – they absolutely do their job – it’s just that they’re feeling a bit cumbersome, and it’s making me ignore projects. It feels huge because thimbles are sized, and Amazon sellers don’t give the sizes. The local craft stores have few options, which I find surprising because I can’t imagine hand sewing without a thimble. It feels like this giant problem, but it really isn’t.
We had the opportunity to hang out with Becky’s niece this weekend, and it suddenly felt like a small bit of “real” normal. Before the pandemic, we tried to spend a day with Becky’s niece once a month. She was about five at the time, and frankly, it was one of the highlights of my month. I could insert a plethora of clichés about how children grow up so quickly, but it’s not about that. It’s about choosing to spend time with another human being and getting to experience things through their eyes. It’s one of the coolest things ever. The days we get to spend together are full of laughter, and I really needed that. I’ll be honest, the movies and shows Becky’s niece and the godchildren introduce me to are some of the best things I’ve seen in ages. I don’t consume a lot of light media, but Zoey has gotten me to watch some of my favourite movies over the last three years, and my godsons just got me to start watching the most absurd series and I love it. This got me thinking about how thankful I am to have them in my life, and I realised I’m not focusing on these positive things. Instead I’m in “damage control” mode, and it’s not doing me any favours.
Today, I am choosing to take a moment to list off things I’m grateful for. When I was thinking about this list, it felt a little trite – like I’m trying to bandage things under the guise of being grateful. That’s not the case at all. I’m staring out the window at yet another grey day with the wind doing that ominous thing it does right before the sky rips open and pours down. The grey is seeping into my mood, my projects, and my work. If I don’t give myself a mental shake soon, I’m going to spiral down, and that isn’t how I want to spend my time. Trite or not, I want to look at the things I’m grateful for, and I hope you take a minute to do the same.
Slow, quiet mornings: I’ve never been one for a long morning routine. I typically wake up about 15 minutes before I need to be somewhere, roll into clothes, and walk out the door. Right now, I have good tea, good coffee, and Diet Coke. I don’t think I could function without those things. Having mornings where I’m not immediately jumping from sleep into activities makes me happier throughout the day.
Being vaccinated: I have gone to an actual store without this overwhelming fear of getting sick! I know that the vaccine isn’t this end all, be all thing, but I feel more secure going to the store or sitting in a restaurant. I’m continually shocked at the number of people milling about though. I think that one will take a bit to get used to.
Spending time with friends and family: This is something none of us have gotten to do as often as we had in the past. Everyone in our immediate circle has now had their second dose of the vaccine, and we were able to spend some time with my family over Memorial Day. We spent time with Becky’s family this past weekend, and we’re getting to spend time with the Chrises and their family in the coming weeks.
The rain: Yes that sounds a bit weird considering the constant barrage of water has my mood doing weird things. That said, the rain has brought up the water level in the river, and we are planning a tubing trip. It’s something Becky and I love doing, and we finally feel like it’s something we can do again! Hopefully, we’ll be able to get at least two trips in this summer.
Our dogs: I can’t think of a time our dogs wouldn’t make the list. They’re tiny and adorable. Watson knows me better than I know myself. He knows when I’m sick and need snuggles or just a watchful eye. They make my days so much better, even if they do bark angrily at the delivery drivers.
Air filters: We have three stand-alone air filters in our house. They’ve been on pretty much constantly since the rain started. If we didn’t have them, the house would be way more humid than it is, and on the days the world does manage to dry out, they filter out the allergens so I don’t feel like my head is imploding.
Becky: She puts up with my nonsense – even when she walks into a room that was clean and is now covered in things while I’m reorganizing – she’s always willing to chat and picks up the slack when I just can’t for whatever reason. She makes sure we have food in the house, and plans in a way that I simply can’t. I wouldn’t be nearly as sane or happy as I am if she weren’t in my life.
There. Life’s not perfect, and neither am I. I’m thankful for the things I do have. What sorts of things are YOU grateful for?