Gratitude
I woke up on the struggle bus this morning. The puppy was up twice in the night with stomach issues. She is fine. I am fine but tired.
I visited a friend’s Caring Bridge page to check in and see how she is doing amid the fresh hell that is treatment for a rare spinal cancer. I read a post by another friend about recovering from a car accident. I looked at a picture from the Times with the word “PLEASE” written 768 times. It was about staying safe this weekend. I can’t find it; otherwise I’d post a link.
Instead of continuing to struggle, I decided to count my blessings. Here they are, in no particular order:
A house and clothing to keep me sheltered, safe, and warm
A family that loves me and cares about my well-being to inhabit that house with me
An abundance of food that keeps my belly full
Enough books to read for at least a year, if not more
Technology that brings my friends and family from far away into my ear and family room
Relative health and a strong body that let me walk, lift, and even run
A plethora of machines to make me coffee, clean my clothes and dishes, cook my food, clean my floors, and keep me entertained
A job in an industry I care about, working for people who care about me as a human
A brain that functions well most of the time, allowing me to read, remember, and put words together for work and for fun
The ability to sense when things are awry and take a moment to recalibrate
I realize that millions of people in the world are not as lucky as I am. I am thankful.