Grateful for the Small Things

I used to keep a gratitude journal. Every night I would write three things I was grateful for, and in the beginning, I felt like it helped me appreciate life and being alive more. At some point, though, this exercise began to feel like a task to check off as quickly as possible, and once that happened, I stopped and I never returned to it.

I like Thanksgiving season because it reminds me to slow down and appreciate what I have, many of which I take for granted. Things like sleep and good friends are top of mind because of how tangible they are on a daily basis, but I’m also grateful for the little things that when I notice them, I appreciate the value they bring me. Things like:

• The feel of my palm against a page in my notebook
• The scratches my pen makes on the page
• A hot cup of coffee
• A good song
• A warm blanket
• Ten minutes of meditation
• A good dictionary
• A good pencil case
• An empty todo list
• No traffic
• Little kids greeting me with “Hi Mario” all throughout the day
• Little Ashley bragging to her friends that she’s “best friends with a teacher”
• A warm hug
• A fridge full of food
• No longer living paycheck to paycheck
• No car or loan payments
• A sweaty floor after a good workout
• When my back doesn’t hurt
• Photos my friends send me of their families
• Save the date cards
• Sleeping in and getting nine hours of sleep

And of course, anyone reading these words. Thank you.