Gratitude Journal 2020 #10

I want to start this entry of the journal a little differently. I want to talk a little bit about the place of gratitude in our society and also more about the place of gratitude in my life. I have seen two arguments against publically expressing gratitude lately, mostly in response, I think to celebrities expressing their gratitude for what they have in this time. And while I am not a celebrity, the truth is, I have more than most. 

The first argument was that expressing gratitude without also working to address the issues the prevent others from having what you have is really just a humble-brag. I understand this argument, and I could see the validity of it, if you KNEW everything about the other person. But most of us do not know everything about someone else. It is possible that the person is publically grateful and privately working to address the issues. They may not publicize their work to address the issues because they feel that is bragging, or because they feel that their job in those public spaces is to support the people who are actually suffering, and to let those voices be heard, instead of their own.

The first argument is about how those with privilege are using gratitude to highlight their privilege. The second argument is more about how society is using gratitude to continue the oppression of those with less privilege. This is along the lines of “Eat your vegetables. There are children who are starving in Africa.” At the same time, it can be more pernicious. Religion has been used like this for centuries. And it has specifically used to keep people down, telling the oppressed that if they just keep quiet and follow the rules in this life, they will be rewarded in the next. This has been done to try to keep them from working to change their current situation, to prevent them from demanding equal rights and privileges to the ruling class. This is an argument I am hugely sympathetic to. No one should be told that they need to be grateful.

So let me say here, I do this gratitude journal for me. I started it because of research that shows that taking time to be grateful increases personal happiness. And I have found that to be true. Since I started this journal, I find myself noticing things during that day that make me happy. I do not always remember them come time to write things down, but I notice them each day, and it makes my days better.
Could I achieve this effect if I kept this journal private? Yes, but I know me. I do not journal privately. I never have. Even with the supposed accountability of journaling publically, I still am not super great at it. So, I do this for me, and for me only. My goal is to improve my own mental health. 

And with that, here are some of the things I have been grateful for recently.

Gratitude Item #29 – My Tree
At our house in Shoreline, we had a wonderful old Fire Blaze Maple in the front yard. It was one of my favorite things about the house. I loved that tree. When we were preparing the house for sale, the gentleman doing the exterior work for us noticed an offshoot of the tree, pulled it up, and put it in one of our planting pots. We were able to take it with us, and last fall, we planted it in the front yard at our new house.
I was worried about it surviving the winter. But it has. It is small but doing well. And this makes me happy.

Gratitude Item #30 – My fire pit
I have had my fire pit for a few years now. One of my favorite things to do is sit outside at the end of the day and just watch the fire. I especially like to end the week that way. It is the easiest way for me to “meditate”, to actually clear my mind and not think about things. I have always found fire relaxing, and while I miss sitting around the fire with friends, this is still something that helps me relax.

Gratitude Item #31 – Facebook
Right now, we do not go out and visit our friends. We have to find other ways to connect and maintain our sanity. There is much about Facebook as both a platform and a company that is not perfect. But for now, it is the best way I have to stay connected, especially with people who are not part of my closest friend group. (I do a weekly video call with my BFF and her family.) It also allows me to provide some support to friends who are struggling, especially those who live alone. And this is something that I am extra grateful for right now.

Gratitude Item #32 – YouTube
This is another one that is really a “right now” kind of thing. I am listening to some of my favorite channels pretty much all day while I work. Overly Sarcastic Productions, Extra Credits, and Legal Eagle are all favorites. I have also listened to the complete Phantom of the Opera and Hamilton. Being closed alone in my space all day with no real ambient noise is hard on me, so it has been really nice to have interesting topics in bite-sized chunks to listen to.