Day Seven: 30 Days of Gratitude

Seven proved to be my lucky number, as today has been a good day from start to finish.  In the not so distant past, a good day was a rarity, thanks to the dark clouds of depression and anxiety that clouded my personal skies.  While my life is definitely not all blues skies and sunshine, I  have bad moments sometimes, not bad days.  Part of my strategy to manage the less than good days includes focusing on what is good in my life, and even during the toughest times, there always is something good, always, if I just look for it.  Here are three of the good things that have left me feeling quite grateful today:

1. Having the day off of work.  As much as I like my job at the day shelter for homeless men, I also love my time off from work.  In fact, not only do I love it, I need it.  From the moment I walk into work until the moment I leave, a steady stream of guests, volunteers, and staff clamor for my attention, sometimes leaving me feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally depleted.  There is always something to do, and I have a tough time leaving work at work.  So, time off is time well spent resting and regrouping.  It is the routine things, like running errands, picking up my daughters from school, sleeping later, etc.,  that I miss the most since returning to work full-time three years ago, so, I truly savored resuming these tasks today. 
2. Spending the afternoon with my daughters.  My two daughters enjoy having me pick them up from school as much as I do, and we celebrated Friday by enjoying some drinks, snacks, laughter, and lively conversation at Starbucks before indulging in pedicures.  We ended our day snuggled up together on the couch and ordering delivery from one of our favorite local eateries for dinner.  At one point, my older daughter said, “I love you, Mom, and I love spending time just being together.”  I couldn’t agree with her more!’
3. Feeling understood and accepted.  I am in a good place in my life, in part because I learned to love and accept myself, flaws and all.  I feel comfortable in my own skin, and when those whom I love and care about support me, it is the proverbial icing on the cake.  Today, someone’s texts and emails made me shine a bit brighter, and it reminded me of how very far I have come in the past three years.  I still have more big dreams to make a reality, but  I am truly happy where I am at this very moment.  I am enough, and I have enough.

Just one thing each day . . .  .