Although 2024 has been one of the hardest years of my life, I still feel grateful for some things. With tomorrow being Thanksgiving, I decided to put together a gratitude list. Simply thinking about what to include has made me feel a bit better and typing it all out has helped even more. Without further ado, here are some things for which I feel grateful this year.
- Physical health improvements. While I still have some health issues, my overall health is far better now than it was earlier this year. I’ve mostly stuck to the healthier eating habits that made me feel much better when I had lots of internal issues in March. I’ve also gotten back into working out regularly, both to help my juggling and in the hope of fixing a new health problem that has arisen (as well as warding off future problems). I’m enjoying working out again, and I look forward to seeing what it does for both my hobbies and my health.
- Supportive humans. My circles have gradually gotten smaller. Even though I still know a lot of humans, I am only close with a small handful of them. I prefer that to regularly interacting with lots of people yet knowing hardly any of them beyond the surface level. My friends have gotten me through some incredibly hard seasons, and I don’t know what I’d do without them.
- My life situation is slowly improving. If you’ve read my posts throughout this year, then you’ll know how much of a struggle 2024 has been for me. Despite all the challenges, things are getting better. In addition to the physical health improvements I mentioned above, there have also been improvements in my finances, emotional and mental health, and close relationships. This is such a huge relief, and I hope it continues.
- Many animal visits. Whether it’s been at the zoo, nearby puppy store, local park, my neighborhood, friends’ houses, or randomly in other public places, I’ve gotten to pet and visit with lots of animals this year. Almost all of these visits have been pleasant, which has done a great deal to relax and heal me from the many bumps I’ve encountered in life.
- Lots of fond memories, pictures, and videos of my dog Sawyer. The pain around Sawyer’s death continues to go down, and the little bit that remains is much easier to handle than it was in the first year. Even though he’s not here physically anymore, I keep his memory alive by telling others about him, sharing pictures and videos, spending time by his grave each day, and thinking about the wonderful times we shared. I’ll keep doing that until the end of my time on Earth and, I hope, the start of my eternal reunion with Sawyer.