November 13, 2024

I am thankful for…

1. My 4.5 year old running coach. I’ve been running my daughter to school in the stroller. Yes, we should probably walk, but the run saves us a solid 10 minutes. Recently, my little has been telling me to “go faster,” and it’s been delightful to have a little be the one to push and motivate me.

2. Community. In the past few months, the extras in my life have been in short supply. People who I know and don’t know keep appearing, and it’s been nice to connect, establish relationships, and recognize my network. When I’ve needed help, it’s been easier to know who to ask for help because there are some constants in my journey. I’m thankful for a bit of stability.

3. 60 degree days in November. I know climate change sucks and I know that it’s horrible and impacting people in devastating ways. But I’m also one of those crazy people that always wants to find the silver lining or benefit so that I can turn lemons in lemonade. When it’s 60° on November 11th in Chicago, it’s hard to not appreciate the extended comfort. As an Illinois resident for most of my life, winter jackets typically come out sometime in November, maybe even in October. I honestly don’t think we’ve even had a frost yet. It’s nice to not have to pack a bunch of extra layers and to have a mild climate for a few weeks.

If you’re new here

I decided to challenge myself to publish my personal writing more, starting January 2024. From pausing to deliberately reflect to getting more disciplined about creating for myself, I jumped into this goal. For a little more on this journey, check out my first public Gratitude Journal entry.