It’s Friday, so I’m linking up with Fairytales and Fitness for the Friday Five. It’s almost Thanksgiving and I have gratitude on my mind.
A Gratitude List
1. The Husband. Today, The Husband and I are celebrating our 16th wedding anniversary! What? I know. It’s crazy but true. I’m grateful for the amazing life we’ve created and for all of the people who’ve supported us along the way. It hasn’t always been easy, but it’s always been interesting. I’m grateful for The Husband and all of his quirks and for him accepting mine. We’re so lucky.
2. Flexibility and opportunities. You may know that I’ve been working an unconventional schedule for the last few months. I’m working two jobs part time instead of my full time job. With this schedule, I’ve had less travel and more flexibility to manage my time. I’ve gotten to do more fun events and to take on additional opportunities for the blog and some charities I support. I’m grateful for the financial stability that we’ve built that allows me to do things in a non-traditional way.
3. For brights spots in the dark days. I try not to talk politics here, but I’m grateful that 100 women and minorities were elected to Congress. I’m hopeful that the variety of opinions and backgrounds will bring a more representative perspective. A girl can dream.
4. My health and ability to run. If you’ve been around here a while, you may remember that I had a health scare a few years ago. It was really not that big of a deal, but it could have been. I also had several years of running injuries that finally got better. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for each and every step I can run. This helps me to have fun with it and keep on smiling, even when it’s hard. I know that my health and mobility are not guaranteed. Instead of lamenting that my time in NYC was 30 minutes slower than my best, I’m grateful that I finished under 4 hours more than 20 years after my first.
5. Amazing friends, family and readers. I’m so lucky to have friends from almost every year of my life. The Husband and I have met so many wonderful people in Chicago to add to our NYC, college, work and high school friends. Both of our families support us in all of our endeavors and hijinks. I’ve also met so many great folks (in real life and virtually) through this blog. I wish I could thank you all individually but in the mean time, know that you make a difference in my life.
What are you grateful for?
And, speaking of gratitude, I really liked this post on zenhabits “Why Living a Life of Gratitude Can Make You Happy.“ I especially like the prayer of gratitude that he ends with.
Wishing you all happiness and gratitude this Thanksgiving and always!
PS. Don’t forget my great giveaways!