Gratitude is a magical thing. Whenever I find myself staring into the seemingly endless pit that is my to-do list, I remind myself to stop and take a breath and remember all the amazing things that have happened this year. Do you take time to look back and practice gratitude?
I make to-do lists every day. So the other day, rather than focusing on all the things that need to get done today/this week/this month, I took a break to celebrate all the things I’m thankful for so far this year and practice gratitude. I made a gratitude list. And I’ve felt lighter for days.
Here’s a bit of what has me feeling grateful this year …
- Kindergarten anxiety is behind us. I’m so grateful to the moms who helped me and my kindergartener feel more comfortable with this transition to “big school.” And I’m so thankful for how kind and welcoming his school and all the employees there have been.
- The Pacifier Fairy successfully visited our house in the summer and disappeared all the pacifiers. She left a present. Thank you, Pacifier Fairy. I’m so glad you knew which Lego set to get! I also want to give a shout out to the Tooth Fairy. Her first visit to our house was a huge success. She knew just which blind box my son wanted and she somehow knew he wanted a coin for his treasure box too. I hear you’re headed back soon so thanks in advance for your upcoming visit.
- I am overjoyed to be officially done with diapers and potty training. I did a little happy dance when I took those giant boxes of diapers off my Subscribe & Save on Amazon earlier this year.
- I’m grateful for deadlines that force me to prioritize my to-do lists. And thank goodness for the Cozi app! If it weren’t for that shared calendar, my husband and I would never be able to keep up with our family schedule. I honestly don’t know how people did this before shared digital calendars and smart phones.
- My husband is the best at making games out of chores. He makes cleaning up fun for the kids and he always knows how to make them laugh when they’re on the verge of a meltdown. I’m forever grateful for the way he translates chaos into fun.
- Thank goodness for Target clearance for helping me do so much birthday and Christmas shopping throughout the year. I am queen of the endcap clearance treasure hunt, y’all. I have found some of my kids’ favorite gifts there.
- We got a new washing machine this year and I had no idea how terrible our old one was until we got this one. She is shiny and plays a happy song to remind me that I need to move laundry to the dryer and I love her! She’s also much quieter than her predecessor which I especially appreciate when I’m doing laundry after bedtime.
- I’m thankful to my editors for saving me from my typos. You’re the real MVPs. As I tell the students I work with all the time: Everyone needs an editor.
- I am so grateful for my mom friends who laugh and cry with me. It takes a village and a lot of text messages.
- Thank you to my baristas at my regular Starbucks stop. Without you none of this would be possible. Mama needs her espresso.
My little family has been in a season of big change this year. And we have accomplished so much together. I am sharing my list as a call to action. Go make your list and celebrate all the happy moments from your year. What are you grateful for right now?
