Do you keep a gratitude journal? I don’t keep a journal at this point in my life, although I have in the past. But I do make lists every year at Thanksgiving. What about you? Have you ever thought about keeping a gratitude journal? What are you grateful for? Here’s my life for this year. It’s in no particular order. I just write down what comes to me, so it’s kind of a free-flowing.
1) my mate, my daughters, my friends
2) mountain streams
3) authenticity
4) song birds
5) readers of my books and blog (thank you!)
6) seasons
7) sincerity
8) well-written fiction
9) advanced writer’s groups
10) milk chocolate with nuts
11) blues
12) female vocalists
13) storytellers
14) hummingbirds
15) deciduous trees
16) clean rivers
17) meadows
18) white-tailed deer
19) word processing
20) Pentel mechanical pencils
21) a genuine smile
22) independent & foreign films
23) a really good story
24) creativity
25) gusts of warm wind
26) falling leaves
27) deep breaths
28) a good hamburger
29) coffee shops that sell quality tea
30) bookstores
31) libraries
32) get-togethers with friends
33) waterfalls
34) sitting by a mountain stream on a sunny day
35) writing in the mornings
36) artistic excellence
37) writers who focus on craft
38) art museums
39) kindness
40) a good southern breakfast
41) time to contemplate life
42) courage
43) quests for brilliance
44) wisdom
45) symbolism
46) mysticism
47) nature poetry
48) nature poets
49) four-legged family: current and past
50) dogs: Emma & Jack
51) cats: Sammy, Squeaker, and Timmy
52) grace
53) forgiveness
54) knowledge and intelligence
55) artists of all kinds
56) travel that expands
57) freedom to write what I want
58) soul
59) book sales
60) Scrabble
61) memories that lift and nourish
62) integrity
63) cheese Danish
64) Assam tea
65) ancestors
66) consciousness
67) drawings & illustrations
68) comedy
69) laughter
70) our house in the forest
71) wood stoves
72) wood floors
73) holidays with select family and friends
74) a good joke
75) walks by the river
76) red-tailed hawks
77) grocery stores
78) farmer’s markets
79) white squirrels outside my window
80) playfulness
81) shade on hot, sunny days
82) campfires
83) deep conversation
84) dreams, dreams, dreams
85) dancers at the top of their game
86) moonlight
87) sunlight through trees
88) stars
89) oceans
90) children laughing
91) grand-dogs
92) hearing
93) sight
94) intuition
95) live music
96) a book that enlightens me
97) good health
98) sacred landscapes
99) the desire to listen deeply
What about you? What are you grateful for?
P.S. I am an ex-shrink who writes award-winning novels. Check out my books here.
What an amazing list. Thank you for your generosity in sharing it.
Also, email subscribers are weighing in via email:
“I love this list. My only addition would be 100. Living life as I have longed to live it. Blessings. Jane”
“Definitely grateful for you! Thanks for sharing this…what a wonderful gratitude list.”
“All of the fore mentioned…and You, Susan. All the Best.”
Susan, I’d add to this list writers like you who visit other blogs and leave welcome comments. I’m grateful for your observation about the lightness of “Compost.” And the rhythm. Thank you for dropping by. And yes, I too wish for all of us such a graceful departure. We’ve lived through two that were not in the past few months. I hope you have a lovely holiday season.
Have you been to City Lights in Sylva recently, by the way?
Hi Kathryn,
I’m grateful for you stopping by, as well. You write lovely poetry. I hope readers of this blog will go visit you at yours. Here’s the link, folks: https://kathrynstriplingbyer.blogspot.com/
I live at the Brevard end of Pisgah Forest, so I don’t get to Sylva very often. I’m about 5 minutes from downtown.
I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving!