Every year since 2014, I’ve participated in Positively Present’s 30-Day Gratitude Photo Challenge. I love using Dani’s prompts to think about how much I have to be grateful for. This year was a bit of a challenge, since for 10 days I was in California dealing with the loss of my father. I managed to post most days anyway, though this year I opted only to post on Instagram, rather than both Facebook and Instagram, for simplicity’s sake. Here are a few photos and captions from this year’s challenge…because there’s always something to be grateful for.

Day 1: Home

“…I just returned from a three-and-a-half week trip to France…and promptly got sick. I’m sooo glad to be in my own bed with these four-legged “nurses.” There’s just nothing like home when you’re feeling under the weather.”

Day 5: Happiness

“Happiness…is seeing your horse drinking from a water trough. It might seem unremarkable, but when he’s just moved to a new boarding barn and is still settling in, it’s one more indication that he’s beginning to relax. And that lets me start to relax, too.”

Day 9: Laughter

“Day 9’s…prompt, laughter, made me think of my dad, who loved to tease and joke. He recently passed away, and I’m going to miss his humor and spirit. This is the last picture I took of him, and he was getting ready to play penny ante poker with the family—believe me, there was a lot of laughter involved!”

Day 12: Wisdom

“I love pithy sayings that sum up meaningful ideas in a few words. I’m grateful for the wisdom distilled in the sayings that then become mantras for me. I heard a new one from Corinne, the lovely and wise owner of Le Vieux Couvent in Frayssinet, France: ‘You are who you take the time to become.’ Something to ponder when the couch and TV remote control beckon, or junk food whispers my name…”

Day 27: Luxury

“As a middle class American, my life is filled with luxuries and I try not to take them for granted. (One reason why I like taking part in this Gratitude Photo Challenge every year!) Today I’m sharing a pic of one of my favorite luxuries, a personal library. This is just one t-i-n-y fraction of all the books in my house, but I see these shelves every day when I’m at work in my home office (another luxury I’m grateful for).”

And with that, the 2018 Gratitude Photo Challenge is a wrap.

What are you grateful for today?