After facing a deep disappointment, dealing with a new allergy development, and really feeling the overall bleakness that is January, sitting down to compose a gratitude list is in equal parts challenge and welcome reprieve. It’s challenging, because who wants to take the time to look with a positive eye at all your blessings when all you really want to do is wallow (for a little while) in your misery? But at the same time, a gentle but forced push out of one’s little puddle of misery is a welcome reprieve from that not-so-productive desire to wallow.
Does that make sense? I guess what I’m trying to say is that developing the habit and practice of gratitude is a good thing, and I’m especially glad in weeks like the one that just passed that I continue to make it a part of my life.
In no particular order, here is my own gratitude list for this moment in time. I hope that after reading it you’ll go on to write and share your own!
- Having both the ability to read and the love of reading (the latter of which has recently been revived in me after a bit of a slump).
- Books in all their forms – the ones sitting on my shelves, the ones waiting for me at the library, the ones available for purchase, the ones in audio form on my iPhone, and the ones tucked quietly away on my Kindle ready to be discovered. Such wealth!
- That I was immediately able to identify the source of my latest allergic reaction – beeswax in my eyeliner and mascara – because of my previous discovery that I am allergic to beeswax/propolis in lip balm. It’s certainly not fun having allergies, and a pain in the neck to source products that don’t contain problem ingredients, but I’m grateful that this time I didn’t have to go through months of frustration and was instead able to address the problem right away based on my earlier experience. (And yes, from now on I’ll be reading the ingredients on every single cosmetic product I buy – no more beeswax/propolis for me!)
- A generous friend who went out of her way to stop by my house and drop off a HUGE bag of magazines for me to use in collages and art journaling.
- Getting caught up on a couple of tasks that have been hanging over my head for awhile.
- Moisturizing lotion on winter-dry skin.
- My blog readers – and in particular, this week, the ones who took the time to comment on my posts. You really encouraged and supported me on the days when I’ve felt down, and I greatly appreciate your kindness and friendship.
Now it’s your turn!
How to get involved in the Gratitude Linkup
Note: This linkup will be open for the entire month, so feel free to add as many gratitude posts as you choose to write in January!
- Write and post a gratitude list in your own blog.
- Click the “add your link” button below and share your gratitude post.
- Click “get the InLinkz code” below and add the linkup code to your post.
- Visit and comment on some of the posts listed in the Gratitude Linkup.
P.S. – Here’s some background on why I started the Gratitude Linkup.
