G is for Grateful

Here I am, once again, creating my blog post at the end of the day. Only this time, I'm not stressed and guilt-ridden. 

I entered my grades yesterday, officially bringing spring semester to a close. That should have meant that  I'd write my post this morning, and I really thought I would. I had my topic and even a few notes. But after spending all day yesterday (and most days last week) finishing up my end-of-semester tasks and setting up my online summer class (which started today), I realized I hadn't gotten a Sunday. 

At least not in the day-of-rest sense of a Sunday.

So, when I got up today, I declared today Sunday, if only in spirit. I did what I wanted, when I wanted, and promised myself deadlines would not be a part of my day.

And now, here I am, working on another end-of-day blog post. And today, that's okay.

Today, I am grateful, for things large and small. The freedom to putter through a Monday. The sigh of relief that accompanies the end of a semester. The sunroom where I enjoyed both sun and storms today, and quiet time with my husband tonight. An unexpected call from my daughter, and a nightly chat with my dad. A pretty planner in which I can corral all the lists of all the things I've wanted to get to but haven't had the time. An Amazon gift card that paid for a book I wanted. Health and, if not wealth, enough financial means to not lose sleep over making ends meet. 

I could go on, but you get the idea.

Gratitude is one of the best things we can do for ourselves. Although I am, by nature, an optimist and a pretty grateful person, all of the research I've read about the positive effects of gratitude has only intensified that. Sure, I whine and complain (sometimes I even do that here), but I try to end each day taking stock of the things I'm grateful for.

Some days, it's hard. Most days, it's not, especially since I'm usually content to be grateful for small things, like the cool breeze that's coming through the sunroom window right now.

Gratitude is not denial. My small gratitudes don't solve inflation, the war in Ukraine, the contentiousness of politics, the illnesses and misfortunes that plague us all, or the myriad sad, dark, or disappointing things beyond my control. But they shine a little pinprick of light into each day, reminding me that the world isn't all bad, exhaustion isn't permanent, and good people and things still exist. They lower my blood pressure, my stress level, and drop my shoulders from their unnatural position just below my earlobes to the place where they belong.

Gratitude is often sweetest when we come out on the other side of something, whether it's an illness, a bad relationship, or the end of a really long week. 

Today, I am grateful for the peace of mind that allowed me to craft this post at 9PM, sitting in one of my favorite spots. Tomorrow, writing will be at the top of my to-do list for the first time in weeks, and I'm grateful for that, too, because it gives me something to look forward to.

Take a moment. Take a breath. What are you grateful for?