this post started after reading a friend’s blog in 2023, which reminded me of my daily gratitude journal and how small things add up. i wanted to see what would happen if i wrote down a few good things each day for a whole year—not to show off, but to anchor myself through life as it actually was.
every year i hesitate before sharing this post. not because things weren’t worth being grateful for, but because i never want gratitude to sound like denial. life isn’t tidy. grief doesn’t disappear because something good happens. pain doesn’t cancel out joy, and joy doesn’t erase pain.
over the course of 2025, i wrote down a few small things each day that helped me stay tethered to life as it actually was. some days it was meaningful and deep. other days it was a clean house before bed, a good omelette, or simply the relief of getting through the day.
and while these start out as something personal, sharing them feels like an act of generosity. a way of saying that life’s goodness can coexist with its pain, and that we’re allowed to find it in the middle of our own messiness.
this is my list of 365 of those moments.
365 grateful days of 2025
january
a new year. yacht rock documentary. distractions. special k candy. ella pushing herself outside her comfort zone. lunch with ella and melanie. a clean house before bed. walking around target with rebecca. sunny days. mom giving me the print i remember from andrew lane. memories. lunch with everyone for ella’s birthday. catching a migraine in time. perspective. a really good book. ella making homemade mac and cheese. reading old blog posts and feeling inspired by them. a strawberry shake from mcdonald’s. catching up on real housewives. mom’s homemade chili. a day to not have anywhere to be. new pens. mike having the courage to apply within his company. ella’s therapist. one day at a time mentality. a really good book that changed my perspective. aleve. chatgpt for health issues. instacart. dina’s excitement over a candy crush gift card. my friendship with rebecca.
february
pb and j on toast. monthly massages. sleeping five straight hours. mom’s shoulder (and spirit) getting better each day. rebecca sending me positive political news every week. mike going to depaul games again. little things to look forward to. biscuits gentle soul. getting to see cara. having enough energy to show up for others. eckhart tolle’s books. ella cutting mom’s hair in her kitchen. anna coming up after work for dinner. mom’s neighbor snow blowing her driveway. a really good denver omelette. mike picking out valentine gifts for the girls when i wasn’t able to. talking through emotions at kristen’s. sage candles and spray. celtic salt. door dash and white lotus with ella after school. our broken windshield being repaired for free. a late afternoon nap with the puppies. a good visit with my migraine doctor. kenji and our convo about reiki. the way dina and i nerd out over candy crush. all the signs from dad. 55 and sun two days in a row. time off social media.
march
lunch and shopping with melanie. yoga, reiki, edible, sleep. dinner out with kristen and tony. homemade shepherds pie. my body waking me up naturally early so i have time for soul homework. daylight savings is on sunday! icy hot and heating pads. how beautiful our home is when it’s filled with sunshine. how a trip to costco makes my mom and me so excited. anna birthday dinner at plateia. a walk at the forest preserve and boba after. yoga for the neck. cheerios with banana and milk. really friendly staff at urgent care. hearing all sorts of birds outside with open windows. meeting someone who reminds me of a loved one who passed. coffee shops. mom’s irish dinner and how much love she puts into it. snuggling with the dogs at bedtime. getting a pt eval quickly. things to look forward to. crying in the car while blasting music. cardinals singing in the backyard. soul homework in a calm house. a quiet spring break. snuggling with grandkitttyy. watching the sunset with the dogs. talks and laughter with mom in the car. feeling connected to my blog friends. how much ella loves animals. finishing a really good book. friday night fish fry.
april
birthday month! trying to not give a shit. how the universe works. reiki with andrea. breakfast with rebecca. sweet and salty sundae at greg’s. sunday dinner at mom’s. my neck is feeling better. aldi. trying new things. tiktok comment sections. my kids. mike. restorative yoga with melanie. having coffee with dina, her mom, and mom. the sound of our wind chimes. hearing cardinals everywhere now. conversations with mike in the evenings. our yard critters. lunch at triangle with kristen and ez. our local mexican restaurant. fresh starts. the trees are budding and blooming. a good chicken caesar salad. walking around a new grocery store with mom- it makes me feel like i did when i was little. watching the planes land at ohare with anna and mike. lou’s pizza. 78 degrees on my birthday. golden hour. an evening walk with ella.
may
writing time alone in the house. getting to see a peaceful protest. grieving over a hamster (rip dustin). ella’s caring heart. funny bumper stickers. crying as release of emotion. saying no. plane finder app. lunch alone with ella. crystal shops with good energy. meeting melissa for breakfast and having a good cry. getting to celebrate mothers day with my mom. writing my stories and the healing it provides. feeling less alone. mike being okay after an er visit. listening to ella work in the kitchen from the other room. biscuits gotcha day. missing an old friend. 2.5 hour nap with the dogs. hearing a forgotten song. feeling motivated again. my new shoes. looking through old photos with mike and the girls. no school for two weeks. arby’s mac and cheese. a really nice manager at the store. watching a hummingbird at mom’s feeder. 19 years of marriage. beautiful weather all weekend. how thoughtful mike is. gardens. falling asleep on my shakti mat.
june
weekly breakfast with rebecca. sharing housewives tiktoks with bijoux. golden hour. erasure poetry. sitting on mom’s deck. feeling my feelings. ella doing my brows and cutting my bangs. yellow bird at my feeder. getting my first henna tattoo. banana bread lattes. yoga class with dina. ella advocating for herself. my friendships. realizing how early the sun rises (4:30!). how my feet feel after a pedicure. talking out my frustration to an empty chair. sleeping in. hammocks at the end of the day. i’m coming back to life. rain after drought. good news on mike’s ct scan. thai massage yoga. my new baggy pants. anna and ella looking through their keepsake bins. claritin. blogs to read. energy to clean. feeling the grief leaving my body. my little life- i love it. air conditioning.
july
my water bottle. mike playing golf in a league. falling in love with a new song. filipino fruit salad. ella excited over summer clothes. morning rituals. apples and crunchy pb. fennel essential oil. getting nine hours of sleep. first zinnia bloom! being humbled and not letting it destroy me. not being on facebook. aldi’s honey greek yogurt. anna’s daily phone calls. how beautiful our bushes and trees are now. gifts from the universe. mom making me acine de pepe salad. ambient music. convo-no phones all evening. cheese pizza, extra cheese. massage balls. dramamine. listening to my gut. quesobirria. horchata latte. driving with ella in late evening and it was magical outside. fresh produce. perfect days movie. gray honda pilots everywhere. sound bath playlist. sunflowers thanks to birdies.
august
my energy is improving. hallmark shops. jewel deli. fresh air. rest. our garden full of black- eyed-susans. anna deciding to follow her dream. the first sip of coffee. eating lunch with mom. homemade spaghetti. thursday morning yoga. selling alaska show. funny you tube videos. listening to ella’s funny stories about her australian friends. ella’s australian friends. prolific studies and the side money it provides. realizations while in pain. the little things. no cavities. celebrating mom’s birthday with all of us plus my brother. trees. a card from the past. a really good sandwich. no headache for six days! so many good books on my table. little rituals and routines. slow living. dinner out with cara. how excited the dogs get when anna comes home. elote. finding an iga store.
september
ella practicing driving and finally enjoying it. the little grocery store in paddock lake. mike’s sense of humor. fresh seal coating. hearing about mom’s childhood. ella meeting a friend at orientation. door county coffee. anna’s dreams coming to life. ella loves her job. dinner at anna and marc’s. pinterest. texting anna late at night and she’s also awake. distractions from the american shitshow. learning new things. the hostess at the mcdonald’s in bannockburn. new slippers. lemon cheesecake ice cream. flu shots are covered by insurance. protecting my peace. working in the yard. impromptu costco run. dad came to mom in a dream. rotolo from saluto’s. ella and her friendships. the smell at a dispensary. answered wishes. mike’s glp-1 is finally covered by insurance. a big salad. it’s autumn. dad is everywhere.
october
date night with mike at mars cheese castle. health insurance. yoga twice in one day. good healthcare. a new day. home goods with mom and anna. weekend soul homework means more time. sunshine for two weeks straight. eating dinner along the chicago river with mike. sound baths. open windows all day. dreams that feel real. migraine medication. journaling. mike and i taking an afternoon nap together. mike taking care of me when i’m sick. feeling better than yesterday. took a normal poop. little big things. healing my inner child. chilly weather. homemade soup. redirection. mike getting home safely. anna got the job! homemade basque cheesecake. our backyard maples. a beautiful trick-or-treat day to sit outside. a good sub sandwich. getting a gi appointment in less than a week. french bread pizza and housewives.
november
this daily practice. making an old favorite for dinner. visiting with william and dana. pumpkin pancakes. anna’s training start is after the holidays. ella getting to neenah and back safely. i felt like my dad today-an action he would do. a lazy sunday. solutions to perceived problems. biscuits curling into my legs in child’s pose. 52 degrees feels like summer now. jello with pomegranate. ella’s chocolate chip muffin cake. my little family. seeing a difference in myself. metamucil. one day at a time. the hippie pot pie restaurant. clean carpets. cadbury hard shell eggs. our new kitchen curtains. seeing outside the box. where i live. costco cinnamon rolls are back! a peaceful thanksgiving. watching stranger things with ella and mike. mri is done. appetizers and games at mom’s. christmas tree lights.
december
i’m eating chocolate again! bernie is doing better after er visit. ella making pretzel kisses while telling us about her day. a fun day in the city with anna and marc. ordering groceries online. our friendship with bernie and rebecca. beef and noodles. melanie here for lunch. tikok. good news. “burping” the house every day. conversations with ella on the way to school. the way my mom makes christmas time special. the beautiful morning sky. no acid reflux tonight. ella done with finals early. rolo cookies. this healing year. sarah and her nail service. ella getting to hold hailey’s baby. hope. how much my girls love christmas. the best cinnamon rolls i’ve ever made. my blog friends (i wish you lived closer). talking things through with mike. thrifting in the city. little white lights on rainy days. our sweet yard birds.
you can read past grateful days posts here:
if you haven’t seen perfect days yet, i highly recommend it.
thank you chris for recommending it last year. 💜
and here are two blog posts you might enjoy:
100 Things That Made My Year | 2025 Edition – elsie green
My Year of Writing Dangerously – by Summer Brennan (the inspiration for this series)
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A Grace Full Life 
Awww….I’m honored to make the list! Also, I am so happy to see you post this week. While reading all this good stuff, I realized my post tomorrow is all about the negative, but I hope people will find the humor in it, because everyday life can be so ridiculous.
Some of my favorites of your gratefulness:
The Yacht Rock documentary – I think about it when I’m listening to the Sirius station.
Sleeping five hours straight – I am finally achieving that with the help of Estrodial. I only have to get up once per night now.
Anything regarding warm temperatures, I am here for. I’m dreaming about 78 degrees in April.
Falling in love with a new song – I am loving Hula Girl (The Neighbourhood) right now.
That photo of Chicago is stunning! Thank you for spreading some sunshine into my dreary Monday. XOXO
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It’s nice to have these kinds of memories preserved. It’s nice, looking back at memories and good times.
I like your Dylan quote – I will endeavour to be more grateful regarding the things I don’t have that I don’t want.
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Currently craving a strawberry McDonalds milkshake and a large salad not from McDonalds. I’ve been struggling with what to include in my (too tiny) ONE LINE A DAY diary that I write in before sleep, adding one simple line of gratitude sounds like a very good use of space.
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