Gratitude Journal #33

There is still a lot going on, but this week was definitely less stressful than last week. And while I have been productive this weekend, I’ve really only been a little busy and had plenty of time to actually relax and enjoy hanging out with friends virtually on Saturday and in person on Sunday. And that always makes a weekend (or any day) a win.

Gratitude Entry #78 – Good insoles
One of the things I tell young people is that there are a few things in life it is worth spending money on, even when you do not have a whole lot of money. One of those things is good shoes. Your entire body will thank you later in life if you get in the habit of wearing good shoes when you are young. Of course, one of the problems is that often the really cute shoes are not good shoes. And since I have pretty big feet (women’s size 12), when I find cute shoes that will actually fit me, I want them, regardless of how good of shoes they are.
And this is where good insoles come in. I got mine when I was suffering from plantar fasciitis. They cost as much as a pair of quality shoes. But they turn any pair of shoes into quality shoes. This allows me to buy really cute shoes from factories in China that would kill my feet if I tried to wear them as is. Instead, I stick in my insoles, and boom, the cute shoes are now good shoes.

Gratitude Entry #79 – Babysitting
Thursday night I got to babysit my BFF’s little boy. He is just over 15 months old and the epitome of a toddler. On Thursday, I got to go play in the park and swing (though mostly push him on the swing). I got to laugh with a giggling little boy and help him walk up the slide. We wandered around the last farmers’ market of the season and had a lovely dinner. (Well, I had dinner. He had snacks.) And when it was time for bed, I got to rock this beautiful little boy to sleep.
In my own parenting, I skipped the baby stages. I skipped them for a reason. I do not know that I would be good at parenting a toddler, but babysitting for an evening? I can rock that.