Favorite Things, Humor, Life, Nonsense, Soul Homework

100 Drops of Gratitude

Writer McWriterson

The past few weeks I’ve felt like I’ve had to drag myself around everywhere I go. Like a cartoon figure who unfolds themselves out of bed onto the floor, down the hall, and onto the couch each day. I can’t motivate my teenager to homeschool most days, I can barely motivate myself to get in the shower, it’s just too much.

My metaphorical bucket has been depleted.

But I’m not here to talk about the realities that I’m sure you’re all dealing with; I’m here to talk about what I’m grateful for.

Since last fall, I’ve been falling asleep every night by repeating out loud all the things I’m grateful for that happened that day. This has made me feel like there are more reasons to be happy than I previously thought. It made me realize that a list like this would be useful to some of you.

So I started working on this a while ago, adding things here and there; it’s been a lot of fun thinking of all the things for which I should be thankful.

The good stuff that’s been happening…. and there is a lot of it.

Here are some unusually specific things for which I am grateful that I have been adding to my mental bucket over the last five months.

Red Ladybug in Green Grass

 

100 Drops of Gratitude

–my withholding journal 

-reading while sitting in a sunspot

-sunspots (especially during the winter)

-finding new flowers on houseplants that haven’t bloomed in a long time

-my daily soul homework

-my anti-depressants

-the smell of a coffee shop

-Pacha dirty hippie soap

–Snoop Dogg Bow Woww Brownies

-the “new book” section at my local library

–this documentary. Thank you for the suggestion, Suz. 

-that first sip of coffee in the morning

-knowing that if it hadn’t been for writing, this year would’ve been far more difficult for me. 

–SongPop; if you’re a music buff and haven’t discovered it yet, right that wrong.

-Spotify Creativity Boost playlist. In fact, all of Spotify’s curated playlists.

-my five senses

-my house; I’ve never been more grateful for it than this year.

-crossing tasks off my to-do list

-my husband’s sense of humor

-my headache specialist. I will be eternally grateful to him for restoring my life. This should’ve been the first thing on the list.

-for this quote: “Don’t believe everything you think.”

-my dog has this beautiful habit of shifting to sleep inside my legs between four a.m. and when I wake up. He began doing this when my migraines were at their worst last summer. He is truly my comfort animal, and I am grateful for him on a regular basis.

-a good fart; it’s like yoga for the colon.

-a deep cleansing breath; it’s like yoga for the lungs.

-my favorite coffee mug

-my favorite breakfast bowl is a West Elm ramen bowl. It is a perfect shape and size and I love it.

And that bowl isn’t it. 

-my favorite blanket

-looking at old pictures on my camera roll

-watching old home movies

–this comment on an article (scroll down to the comment by anonymous dated August 31, 2018, at 2:38 p.m. and read the thread. You won’t regret it)

-discovering Schitt’s Creek last year. It’s turned into a comfort show in a time when I needed it the most.

– this quiz

-a good hard laugh. This will help get you started.

-learning to meditate

– talking to my plants

-finding love notes from my children from years ago in my phone

-finding love notes from myself to myself in my phone

-appreciating winter for the first time

-antidepressants (adding them again because)

-learning to love myself

-the color green

–learning that it’s okay if I don’t want to face my fears (I still need to though)

-peanut m&m’s

-my mom and dad’s good health

-our health as well

-horses and the therapy they bring for our sweet Ella (and to us too)

-rainbows (in any form)

-the act of flossing teeth and how therapeutic that is

-how I am finding therapy in the strangest places

-FaceTime with Anna and the mutual love therapy it provides both of us

-morning talks with my husband

-walking in the woods

-trees just being trees

-afternoon phone calls with my mom over coffee

-my little desk nook

-grammar editing apps

–my inability to understand grammar (otherwise, I would not have discovered the preceding)

-Pema Chodron

-Starbucks iced chai lattes

-giving perfection the middle finger

-middle fingers

-discovering treasures like this and feeling as if you’re living in a parallel universe

-then doubting your bird’s existence

-then doubting your own existence

–a cardinal’s bird call. Or, for that matter, any bird call.

-rabbit holes (not literal ones, figurative ones)

-intently reading something and exclaiming YES! out loud to no one.

-discovering a TikTok on my feed from Ella talking about me saying, “she didn’t think she looked good but I think she looks beautiful.”

-discovering TikTok

-shower meditation

-singing at the top of my lungs in the car

-book suggestions from friends

-my podcast

–The Book Blueprint

-discovering that a “menopause specialist,” is a “thing”

-realizing that there are some days in the week I don’t watch any television because I’ve been writing and listening to music instead.

-hearing laughter coming from down the hall

-seeing friends and family in my feeds receiving the vaccine

-that I finally conquered the dreaded Block Editor

-that I am motivated to edit my book again, thanks to the aforementioned Book Blueprint

-For finding this article about menopause

-slowly returning to normalcy, only to discover that nothing will ever be normal again. Then realizing there is no such thing as normalcy. That our lives are constantly shifting and changing, and that perhaps we needed this wake-up call.

-for my soul family

-for my actual family

-for cartoons like this

-for pulling away from social media this year

-for cultivating relationships during the pandemic. I hear so much talk about how divided people have become, yet there have been relationships that have grown stronger for me. I am extremely grateful for those.

-for all of you

I’d say my bucket is overflowing. I am passing it along in the hopes that it will help you fill your bucket. I hope you will pass it on and continued the chain.

25 thoughts on “100 Drops of Gratitude”

  3. I love this post, Kari. Who knew that someone else’s gratitude list could make you happier, too?

    I’m so glad you’re finding relief from pain. Pain colors everything, doesn’t it? I’m having so many fewer headaches this year (and also enjoyed winter more, which has traditionally been headache-heavy). In spite of all the allness of the past year, there have been tremendous gifts within it.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. This is fun. I remember when all bloggers had their top 100 things about me lists and this reminds me of that. I, too, am grateful for “trees just being trees.” I am grateful just about everything at this point.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  6. What a wonderful gratitude list! I took the Buzz Feed Schitt’s Creek quiz and booo…I got one wrong! Though they say I did “absolutely shitt-tastic”, so there’s that. It was the “who wanted Moria to perform at his cousin’s funeral even though he wasn’t dead yet?” I couldn’t decide between Bob and Roland and I picked Bob. Dang, I was wrong.

    We are now watching the series, Kim’s Convenience on Netflix. Have you seen it? I think you and Mike (and Ella!) would really like it. Light-hearted and fun.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  7. This is sweet. That comment on the Uncle Buck story is so fun. I got a good chuckle out of the yoga for your colon. You aren’t wrong! I slept so great last night and I swear today everything looks better, makes more sense, seems doable. Good sleep is my favorite thing (I mean besides the obvious children and husband and friends). Oh, and I LOVE crossing things off my list too.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Isn’t that story fun? Mike and I were in the car heading somewhere when I found it. I was reading it to him and it brought us so much happiness. I tucked it away for a tater tot post and then I remembered it a few months ago. I am so grateful for finds like that; they almost feel like Mr. Hughes is sending them down from Heaven like little bread crumb tracks of joy. Love, love, love.

      You are so right about sleep. When my migraines were at their worst last summer, I was averaging about four good hours of sleep. It was a mix of many things but bad sleep was a definite factor.

      Crossing things off feels good. Physically, feels good. LOL.

      Sending you big hugs. I’ve been thinking about you after your post the other day. A huge trigger for me is someone being left out, so my heart is with you. I wear mine on my sleeve, so I feel you friend. If you ever need to vent, I am always an email or text away. 🙂

      Like

      Reply

      1. Thanks, Kari. It was a blow. Although since I’ve distanced myself from them – I feel like it shouldn’t be. I guess because I’ve distanced myself then being left out makes me revisit all the reasons I distanced myself in the first place. That’s lots of ‘distanced’. Lawdy. Regardless of why they do it, or why I shouldn’t care, it still bites.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. I think it’s a good thing you are distancing. Maybe there is a reason the word distance is appearing so much in that paragraph. I think you have been doing what you had to do to protect your heart. Life is too short to be around people who don’t make time for you. You’ve got much better things to do. 😘

        Like

  8. a good fart; it is yoga for the colon.”
    You are a poet!

    So much to unpack. I love this post. But I’m also not loving that you are having to drag yourself out of bed lately.

    The birds. Birds are not real? WTH.

    So, did you like The Octopus Teacher? It felt like yoga for my brain.

    Gonna download Song Pop as soon as I find my damn apple password…

    I knew you would get the Block Editor.

    I love that complaint vs gratitude line; so very true.

    Thank you for sharing all your little things because if we’ve learned anything the little things are the things that really fill our soul.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I feel much better lately. It is up and down with each week but this week is a good one, so I am taking that as a win. I am also learning to live in the moment. Let me tell you, that is helping me immensely. Being mindful of each moment has helped me so much. If I could offer that piece of advice to anyone, it would be that. 🙂

      That bird’s website blew my ever-loving mind. I don’t believe it but man, it took me down a rabbit hole. I miss Joy so much. Still. There are weeks I want to get another bird so badly. Then I think it isn’t fair to cage birds and I am being selfish. Sigh.

      I LOVED THE OCTOPUS TEACHER. So did Mike. Our minds were blown at so many of the octopus facts we learned. And we also wanted to adopt an octopus when it was over. But again, that is selfish. WHATEVER.

      Block editor isn’t so bad but it definitely takes some getting used to. To be clear, the only posts I am writing in block editor are the podcast ones for now but at least I know how to do it when the time comes and that is also a win!

      The little things are big things. I think that is the takeaway when all is said and done.

      Like

      Reply

  10. I love this list! Thank you for sharing! (Tho your post about Joy made me cry. I’m so so sorry for you. Last year must have just…. no words to encompass the loss & sadness.) Gratitude thinking gets me thru so much. Also that photo of the horse n rider with the beautiful lighting. Oh man. Memories. I miss horses. Hope today gave you more entries for your Gratitude List!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. This list helps me get through bad days. I hope it helps motivate others to create one too.
      I still miss Joy so much. Now that spring is here, I am hearing the birds sing again, and as lovely as it is, it makes me miss her more. 🙂
      Ella was at horses the other night and she was giving love to the one she was riding; it happened to be the horse she learned to ride on. I began to get tears in my eyes right there. Something about her and horses always makes me emotional, in a good way. I am so glad she has them. Lots of things to be grateful for.

      I hope today brings you lots of things to be grateful for too, Maddie!

      Like

      Reply

Leave a comment