Gratefuls, If You Need a Boost

Life is heavy right now – the virus, the protests, the lack of personal contact and community, cancelled family reunions, empty streets, empty calendars, even the constant rain in June – one of our coveted summer months to hope for sun. We’re all experiencing lack in some way. We lack time, touch, hugging, and laughing with others. We lack personal mental space to work and think in a small house with active kids. We dream of noise-cancelling earphones while at home; full houses at movie theaters; sold-out performances at Orcas Center; lighthearted Saturday-morning strolls through the happy, busy farmers market in the Village Green; singing together at church; and simply walking out the door to find the next fun, unplanned adventure awaiting us in the world.

I decided I needed a full-on, intentional, lengthy grateful list to shake me out of these thoughts. There are definite times that I need practice seeing bummers as thankfuls. I’ll share it with you in case you need it too. If some points don’t apply to you, or cause you to lose your budding gratefulness, by all means skip them and move on.

I am grateful for…

• this most amazing, spacious, peaceful island on which to “distance”

• natural geographical isolation from the mainland to avoid viral contact

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• lovely, comfortable, perfect summer air wafting into my bedroom window
• the pitter-patter of rain, since I missed it all my life until living here
• a wonderful temperature – not too cold, not too hot
• a cozy home and shelter from the elements
• children I enjoy spending my time with
• a companion who shares in the work of having a family and who makes it all possible for us
• stunning views everywhere you look

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• nature birthing and blossoming all around us, and the unpredictable magic we find every time we immerse ourselves in it

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• ample time to rest and be, in a culture that normally applauds busyness and productivity
• an empty calendar and all the time in the world to create, read, converse, learn, play, and go deeper with our kids
• the interests our kids have of their own when I want to dive into my own brain
• the physical freedom to live life as I choose
• the religious freedom to study what I choose
• the love I experience daily from my husband, children, mother, and siblings, and friends
• the safety I feel – I can walk at night without fear, I can be who I am without harm, and I can speak my opinions
• the varied and abundant meals I can choose everyday, the growers and harvesters who make them possible, and the money to buy them
• the endless clean water that comes out of the faucet and the luxuriously hot showers I can take whenever I choose
• the warmth I experience in the form of clothing, boots, heaters, fireplaces, cuddling, and inspiration
• access to technology for work, enjoyment, inspiration, learning, music, finding new passions, and connecting to others
• access to a car and gas – the freedom to go anywhere at a moment’s notice, whether close or far away
• ample time to think, rest, and dream
• stunning beauty to walk, run, bike, and paddle in

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• every tool I can imagine to turn my or our children’s inspirations into actions to make goals happen, whether from books, DIY videos, human connections, or tangible resources
• endless online entertainment – movies, series, lectures, and podcasts
• the pets that enhance our lives with their love
• the fact that I have nothing I truly need – my needs are met

All I have to do is make a list like this and I instantly feel convicted of pettiness for feeling anything but grateful. We here have more to be thankful for than most people could ever fathom.

Thank you, grateful list. I’m cured.