Photo by Lukas Medvedevas on Unsplash

“For just one second, look at your life and see how perfect it is. Stop looking for the next secret door that is going to lead you to your real life. Stop waiting. This is it: there’s nothing else. It’s here, and you’d better decide to enjoy it or you’re going to be miserable wherever you go, for the rest of your life, forever.”

—Lev Grossman, The Magicians

No surprise, this year I found the Gratitude Challenge…challenging. But I managed to post photos on Instagram 15 days, if I include today’s post, which will go up later. It’s not that I don’t have as many things to be grateful for—in reality I have more, including the fact that so far to my knowledge, none of my loved ones has contracted the coronavirus. I think it has more to do with my being mentally exhausted. Some days it was just too much for me to search both my photos and my brain for something meaningful to post. Pandemic brain is A Thing, people.

Once again, thank you to Dani DiPirro of Positively Present for sponsoring this annual challenge. Even though I didn’t post as much this year, I did really appreciate the chance to take an entire month to think about what I’m grateful for. Here are a few highlights from this year’s Gratitude Challenge:

Health

The first prompt in @positivelypresent’s annual Gratitude Challenge is “health.” I'm very grateful that I do have good health overall, and that I have the resources for self-care, including healthful food, easily-accessed exercise options, and the therapeutic benefits of my Sunday lavender bubble bath ritual. Ready for a good night's sleep!

Seasons

My favorite season is autumn/fall (not the “hot-umn” we've been having, though). The first cold front after Florida’s seemingly endless summer, pumpkin spice everything, bright flowers instead of fall leaves. Today, I’m grateful that the high was only 75 degrees. Well see how long that lasts.

Nature

During the past what feels like 150 years of pandemic madness, I’ve maintained what little sanity I have by going to the barn to be with my horse, and walking on our subdivision’s nature trail. Looking at that sky, breathing in the scent of warm horse, and catching deer at breakfast...just a few ways nature has provided balm for my soul. I know how lucky I am to have easy access to nature, and I'm grateful.

Fun

Here’s the poster child for #fun right here, posing with one of her much-loved and chewed-upon toys. She’s been a bright spot during this hard year, and I’m grateful for the many times she’s made me laugh.

Friendship

I’m a day late on the prompts for the Gratitude Challenge, but I can’t let day 9’s, friendship, go by without sharing something. I am truly grateful for the friends who enrich my life with adventure, fun, laughter, shoulders to cry on, and listening ears. I’m grateful for the ones I’ve been able to see safely during the pandemic, and for those I miss SO much (may we be together soon). I’m posting this pic of barn friends Trixie and Jet since I don’t have any recent ones of my human friends!

Creativity

Kindness

I have the perfect post for today’s #gratitude30 challenge prompt, kindness. When I came out for our walk this morning, I found that a tree from our backyard had fallen over our fence and was blocking our subdivision’s paved trail (thank you, Hurricane Eta). While my friend and I were pondering this situation, a man we frequently run into walking his dog approached us to see what was happening. When he found out the tree was ours, he offered to bring his chainsaw over and cut it so that it would no longer block the trail. I accepted his offer gratefully, and he came over a short while later and made that happen.

Memories

Remember when we used to go places and have fun? When it didn’t feel like a risk to go to the grocery store? Today I’m grateful for the memories of trips to beautiful places (like Maine, pictured here). Looking back at photos like this one reminds me of a happier, freer time—I hope it will come again.

Today’s #gratitude30 prompt is color. One of the things I appreciate most about color is its ability to influence mood. We choose paint colors and clothes and even coffee mugs to feel calmer, more confident, happier. Or is that just me? Case in point: doesn't looking at this colorful little guy make you feel more cheerful?

Curiosity

For today’s gratitude challenge prompt, curiosity, I flipped back through my photos to these pictures of a flowering cactus I saw on a walk a few weeks ago. I’d never seen it before, so I looked it up...and I think it’s called a queen of the night. What a lovely name! I’m grateful for being able to follow my curiosity where it leads.

One more thing…I’m grateful today and every day for you! Thank you for being part of the Catching Happiness family.

—Epicurus

Photo by Andres F. Uran on Unsplash

“Even a happy life cannot be without a measure of darkness, and the word ‘happy’ would lose its meaning if it were not balanced by sadness. It is far better to take things as they come along with patience and equanimity.”

—Carl Jung