Gratitude Journal #8

Apparently, you can train your brain to be happier by keeping a gratitude journal, so I am giving it a go. My goal is post about 100 things I am grateful for over the course of the year. (This should average out to just a little over 2/week.) However, I am going to try and stay away from the standard family/friends/pets. Please know I absolutely am grateful for my family, friends, and pets. I would not have made it through the past couple of year without each of them. But if I am trying to train myself to be happier, then I want to start recognizing the smaller things in life that I am grateful for.

I cannot really put into words how good it is to not be sick and back on my normal schedule. Friday will not quite be normal, as we have an event that evening at work, so I am working late instead of early, but still – I will have worked a full week, something that it feels like I have not done since January (between snow days, Presidents’ Day, and being sick).

Gratitude Entry #16 – Daylight Savings Time

I love DST so much. It is now light out when I get off the bus in the evenings. I get home from work and instead of it being “night” outside, it is only evening, and I can do some yard work, take the dogs for a walk, etc. I just love it.

The truth is, I leave my house a little before 6am every day, so more light in the morning has very little meaning to me. Light in the evening is everything. I also generally handle the time change better than a lot of people, as I do not go to church. I generally try not to have anything scheduled the morning of the time change. I do not lose an hour of sleep. I do lose an hour out of my day, which can be a pain, but so worth it. I am just instantly happier on DST.

Gratitude Entry #17 – Fuzzy Sweaters

I want to get this one in while it is still fuzzy sweater weather. (We are looking at temperatures near 70 next week.) I love the daylight. I like warmer weather, but really, as summer starts to wind down each year, I start looking forward to fall and the chance to wear fuzzy sweaters. I try to keep the number I own to a reasonable level, but on a cold day (especially when you have been sick), there is really nothing better than pulling on a warm, soft, fuzzy sweater. And since I generally cannot wrap myself in a blanket for work, the fuzzy sweater gets me through the cold days in the office. (I am in an old building with single pane windows.)

So that is what I am grateful for this week – the start of spring and more daylight during hours I can use it, but also the last bit of winter and the chance to wrap myself in warmth.