30-Day Gratitude Photo Challenge: 2016 Edition
28 Days and Counting--Gratitude Challenge Review
November 28, 2016
For the past 28 days I’ve been participating in the 2016
30-Day Gratitude Photo Challenge, sponsored by Dani from Positively Present and
Caroline from Made Vibrant. Each day, I’ve used a prompt to write about something
for which I’m grateful, added a photo, and posted the results on Instagram and
Facebook. Some days I’ve gone deeper than others, some days practically wrote
themselves, and other days I’ve had to mull over the prompt all day before I
could come up with something to write about.
I really am grateful for all that I have, and all
that I’ve experienced and learned, even the hard things. My life isn’t
“perfect,” but it’s perfect for me. Twenty-eight (and counting) days of
gratitude have reminded me of just how good I have it. As promised, here are a
few of my favorite posts along with their photos (prompts are in bold):
Day 2/Love:
“Love them with your heart, not your ego.” I can’t remember
where I read this, but it has been a life-changing lesson for me when people I
SAY I love don’t behave the way I want them to! It’s helped me to let go of my
expectations for others and simply love them. It’s brought me peace instead of
frustration and pain. It’s even helped me love myself when I’m not (surprise!)
perfect. This photo is of my cat—who I love with all my heart, even though she sometimes (ahem) behaves in ways I don’t want her to!
Day 9/Wonder:
It took half a lifetime of dreaming, but 12 years ago this
guy came into my life. I’m still filled with wonder when I’m with him, even
today, when I finished up his fall clip (in Florida, he won’t need his winter
coat until about February) and came home covered in sweat and horse hair. So
grateful for him.
Day 10/Art:
Julia Cameron wrote, “My feeling is that if you are making
art, you are already an artist. Over time you may become a better one, more
skilled in your craft, but what do real artists do? They make art. If you’re
making art, even beginning art, you’re a real artist—at least today.” By this
definition, I’m an artist, because I make art. It’s not art to sell, or even
always to share, but I’ve begun sketching, either in pencil or using
watercolor, every day for at least five minutes. I’m grateful for this simple
way to bring art into my life, as well as the quiet moments spent this way, and
the memories brought to mind by looking through my sketchbook pages.
Day 11/Memory:
This photo is of my mom’s house, which used to be my
grandparents’ house, in Northern California. It holds many of my happiest
childhood memories, including playing card games, and indulging in Grandma’s
homemade bread and boysenberry cobbler. Now that my mom lives there, we’re
making new memories. I’m grateful for the love, peace, joy, and continuity this
house stands for.
Day 15/Gift:
One of the best gifts I was ever given came from my husband.
It was near my birthday, and our son was just about to enter elementary school.
My husband bought me a cake with our son’s photo on it and the words “Thank you
Mommy. You were there when I needed you” written in icing, as well as a
beautiful opal necklace. It wasn’t so much the gifts themselves as the
sentiment—your contributions to family life are important, and what you do
matters—that meant so much to me. When our son was born, I’d left work in our
business and become a stay-at-home mom. I wanted this very much, but had found
the experience much more difficult that I expected. I was (and am) grateful for
the recognition of my work and sacrifices, and felt loved, appreciated, and
respected. Photo is of me and Nick at the zoo.
Day 23/Progress:
My motto is “progress, not perfection.” My spirit animal is
the tortoise. Ninety percent of the progress I’ve made in writing, riding,
sketching, and so on, has come from baby steps. I’m proud and grateful that I’ve continued making progress on goals that are important to me, even though that progress has been slow. I haven’t given up. As Confucius said, “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
What are you grateful for today?
