I've never been good at expressing gratitude. It's not so much that I'm ungrateful, because I'm incredibly thankful for my life and the people in it, but showing that gratitude hasn't typically come naturally for me.
For some reason, putting thanks into words has always felt performative or insincere to me, as if words aren't enough. It's silly, I know, but I've always felt more comfortable showing my thanks through action. But, today is a day of thanks, and I think it's important to breathe into my discomfort (see what I did there?) and put into words a few of the very specific things that I am thankful for right now (outside of the typical "my family" and "my job"):
- That first cup of coffee in the morning
- A fresh set of clean sheets
- The steam-room simulating mist setting on my showerhead
- The convenience of the internet, despite our complicated relationship
- That my parents not only put up with my fascination with computers at a young age, but actively supported it by helping me find opportunities to learn
- Coming home from work and being greeted by my kids with a hurricane of love
- The timeless appeal of my vintage Casio calculator watch
- Ad blockers
- Microsoft's support of discontinued product activation via phone
- The endless education opportunities on YouTube
- My morning journaling habit
- The growing revival of audio cassettes
- Intermittent fasting and it's positive effect on my digestion
- Having easy access to clean water
- Living so close to the mountains, and the perspective they provide
- My (growing) collection of typewriters
- The opportunity to watch my kids learn new things
- The extra solitude that comes with taking the long way home
- All of the books and the bookstores they come from
- Always having enough food to feed my family
- The smell, sounds, service, and general vibe of libraries
- That moment of silent reflection a walk through a cemetery brings
- Experiencing new things with my wife
- Everything, both favorable and unfavorable, because it's all part of the complete experience of life
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This is post 024 of #100DaysToOffload
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