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Today I think I’d like to focus on the good things. Those little joys in life. It’s all about positive thinking and what not! I want to start the week feeling good. So here are some of the things I am grateful for right now:
1. Little hands
I love my Little Mister’s tiny hands. My mum pointed out that they’re not much smaller than mine now (which makes them still quite small because I do have the hands of a child – it’s crazy). I love the feeling when they grip onto my hands as we’re walking down a path. When they reach out for me. The feel of those little hands brushing past me or resting on my shoulder or leg. I love watching those little hands as they learn how to put stuff together. I know that one day they might be big, man hands that don’t think it’s very cool to hold mine, so I am appreciating them now.
2. Exercise
I am so glad I’m getting more active. In the last week or so we’ve managed to do almost daily 3km walks with a dog at a time and a toddler on a trike (with random huffy puffy bursts of pathetic jogging). I feel so motivated to be strong and fit for our trip to Korea and Japan (with stopovers in Singapore). I want to wrangle a toddler in a few foreign countries without dying of exhaustion or busting something. Mr Unprepared and I have also been doing a 30 day planking challenge. I’ve given my abs their biggest work out since I had a C-section in 2011 and it makes me feel good to gain confidence in that area of my body and reclaim it. In saying that, it would take a miracle before it looks like I’ve actually done anything, but I am also grateful that I don’t care about my appearance as much as my strength and fitness. Getting my priorities right, finally. I have to say that reading Portia de Rossi’s book, Unbearable Lightness, really brought it home to me that there’s no point looking really ‘amazing’ in society’s eyes, if you are actually very unhealthy and unhappy inside. Body image isn’t worth anyone’s sanity.
3. Family
This is one of those constants. It kind of goes without saying. I’m particularly grateful for my parents this weekend after a sanity saving visit, where we walked around their beautiful 5 acre block and showed the Little Mister so many things. So peaceful. We stayed for dinner and my brother made us burgers. It was just what I needed when I needed it. They’re good at that.
4. A cleaner mind
Because I normally have such a dirty mind hahaha. Kidding. What I mean is, I’ve been working on what I let into my brain on a conscious level. I’ve been doing some guided meditations when I’ve had the time or the need (nothing airy fairy – just some really good relaxation stuff). I’ve cut down my Facebook feed trawling to once a day. I resist negative click bait more often on Twitter. I stay off social media when I’m in bed and read a book instead. I guess I just want to take more notice of what I’m letting in. Is that wanky? Probably sounds a bit that way, but it’s working for me. This may be the information age or whatever they call it, but it isn’t always healthy for me to deliberately bombard myself with ALL OF THE THINGS all of the time. Interestingly, I don’t find myself feeling so generally anxious on a daily basis and for that I am truly grateful. I have a long way to go but it will take practice, I guess. I am thankful that I’ve started. It’s empowering.
5. The month of April
I have always loved April. Probably coincidentally because it is my birthday month. This year is the big 3-0 and I am actually excited, which is probably confusing to some because most people find it scary. I just think I’ve really grown into myself and I would prefer to be the 30 year old me than the 20 year old me any day. I am excited for my future because I’ve learnt some hard lessons in the past decade and I’ve grown so much.
Also, the month of April is my brother’s birthday month (happy birthday for Tuesday, bro)! Our birthdays are only a couple of weeks apart and we’ve always celebrated them in tandem. I love that.
Easter usually falls on April dates and it’s a special time of year for me. It holds lots of precious memories. It reminds me of a decades long Easter tradition of holidaying in chalets with family friends and hunting for Easter eggs around the beautiful holiday park (while our parents nervously guarded the eggs from other children haha). We do not stay there anymore, but we visit our friends there on a day trip each year. I love sharing such a wonderful place with the Little Mister and I am so excited about that.
Even though I don’t love the fact that winter is coming, there is something special about April’s change of weather. Maybe it’s the memories attached. It’s a feeling the weather brings. Like I know it’s April and it makes me happy.
What are you grateful for today?
x
