Today I’m grateful for flexibility. Remaining fluid in life allows a person the ability to sway in the wind, rather than to snap. This has been a challenging week once again, but not letting things get to me and just rolling with the punches has allowed me the ability to not murder people and to also be nicer to my family. I know last week I was kind of terrible to my husband and I’m trying to be better. He’s also been helping more so that I don’t feel under so much pressure. I’m thankful for this too. He loves me and is willing to help me keep my sanity. I like that about him, amongst other things. Being flexible has helped not just at work, but also at home. I could be freaking out because our baby was up 100 times again last night, but I know these times are fleeting and she will be grown before I know it. Instead, I roll with it and get back to sleep as soon as possible after she settles down again. I’m grateful that she usually settles down fairly quickly.
Day 25- Gratitude Project
I’m grateful for the small moments with my husband. We get very little time, just the two of us, since becoming parents. I love being a mom, more than I thought possible, but I also sometimes just miss being a person. Being able to sit on the couch with my husband for a few minutes on nights the baby goes to bed without a big production and I’m not exhausted myself, is a rare event.
We got to share about 20 minutes last night, just chatting and eating a cookie, while watching tv. I had time to load the dishwasher and tidy up the kitchen too. Of course, the baby fussed and realized she was in the bedroom alone and woke up. She almost made it back to sleep, but not quite before she hit her second wind. She did have a 2 hour nap, after all.
So daddy took her until she started getting sleepy again while I laid down to get a little rest before she came back to bed. I’m grateful that he hung out with her until she was tired again.
I’m also thankful for her naps on the weekends. It gives us a chance to do things that are difficult to do when she’s awake, like yard work and other chores. We’ve learned to use her naps to get things done, reconnect, and relax. I’m grateful for these lessons in time management and adulting.
As our baby gets older, we will have more time to ourselves I’m sure, but until then, I’m pleased that we get them occasionally. Nothing can bring back our childless days feelings, or even our single days feelings, but it’s nice to get a few moments every once in a while of quiet and rest. I’m grateful.
Day 19- Gratitude Project
Today, I’m thankful for writing. I love writing and have several projects going on that involve writing. When I was in college, I hated much of the writing and after many years of school, I all but lost my love for it. I really wanted nothing to do with writing and I felt lost for a very long time. I feel lost when I stray from my love of writing. I love thinking and expressing using the written word. I even love writing by hand, even though we do so little of it these days.
Writing also makes me feel better. Even if I’m not writing about what has got me down, the simple act of expression oneself soothes me. I don’t do nearly as much of it as I’d like, but I’m working on that. I someday aspire to do it for a living, though, I feel like it could dampen my gratitude for writing if I’m doing it for money. But I feel like I can still love it, if I’m doing the writing I want to do. Writing term papers sucks the love right out of me. But writing about observations, thoughts, feelings, joys, sorrows… THAT inspires me.
So I’m not just thankful for the act of writing, but the feelings I get from it, and after it. I am also grateful for the inspiration that sparks my desire to write. I’m thankful for the words in my head, aching to come out, like a composer orchestrating a symphony. I love words and their meanings. I used to read the dictionary as a kid. True story. And I strove to learn new words, and to use them whenever possible.
I will not likely author the next great novel, but someday I would like to write a memoir, about a previous life I once had. But in the meantime, I’ll write my memoir as it goes. Even though it is a far cry from what it was even just a few years ago, I have a blessed life and a desire to share not only my life experiences, but the words scrambling in my head about it.
Day 15- Gratitude Project
This week has been a struggle emotionally, mentally, and physically. Honestly, I am most grateful that today is Friday and I have the weekend with my family. I’m glad that I’m fortunate enough to work a job in which I have two days off together and they are the weekend. Many people do not have weekends off or both weekend days off. I acknowledge the struggle with that. Not having two days off together sucks, and I feel for those that do work weekends, when they’d rather not. Since my husband is a student and stay-at-home-dad, weekends are not critical for us to have off together, but I enjoy having the same days off as most of my friends and family. We can all spend time together, which we often do. I’m grateful for this time we share on the weekends. Being able to stay up a little later and thinking about sleeping in a little (which basically doesn’t happen for parents of small children) are also good parts to weekends that I’m thankful for. I’m glad that I get a break from my daily work routine and I’m so fortunate to spend the weekends with my baby and husband. Today I’m thankful it’s Friday and the weekend is about to begin.
Day 11- Gratitude Project
Tonight, I am grateful for sleep. As a new mother, I know I’m destined to be lacking in this department and last night, was no exception. So I am grateful for the moments I do get of sleep, although I’ve never been a ‘sleeper’ type person. I do value its importance in life. I hope that I’m able to get more of it tonight than last night. Here’s to sleep, and my gratitude for it.
