Week in Review: A Very Special Gratitude Episode
So. I’ve been feeling like Week in Review has been getting a little stale, since I don’t DO very much these days (#covidpluswinter)…and I’m mostly just sharing my THOUGHTS on things. And while my thoughts are INSANELY exciting to ME, they may not be for everyone…so I’m going to try to come up with challenges for myself during the week (#letsdoallthechallenges) and share my experiences and results on here. Not sure what they will be every week, but I’m open to suggestions.
I follow a young man on TikTok who is charming and funny and oh so wise for one so young. He shares a gratitude a day (sometimes more) and something he loves about himself every day. So I might start with those two. And obviously, if there’s some mundane real-life thing I absolutely MUST share with y’all (cuz you DO know you’re my PEOPLE, right?), then I will. But I’ll try to keep that down to a dull roar until life returns to a more entertaining version.
Again, taking suggestions.
This week is Gratitudes. I have tried to do daily gratitudes in the past but…I found it very challenging after the first few days, cuz frankly, I really WASN’T all that grateful. I was just grey (see what I did there? “grey-tful”?? I crack myself up). But these days life feels a little more technicolor to me and I’m having more OH YAY moments. For which I’m VERY grateful.
MONDAY
* Car passed inspection w zero repairs needed
* Went for a walk at lunch cuz I had no car and found a field to sit in alone. By myself. With no people around.
* Went to new Chinese place and had the fried wontons of my dreams
* Got FREE ORANGE SODA with my Chinese food. I’m way more excited by this than I probably should be.
TUESDAY
* Got to work from home
* Had a great hair day
* Had a cute shout-out from one of my favorite TikTok creators and it made me laugh
* Ooh, was able to find the exact same lipstick that I just ran out of…and ordered two of them!
WEDNESDAY
* Remembered I found my black turtleneck so wore that and that’s always good
* I think we’re done with attending fundraising platform demos at work, thank GOD
* That TikTok brought back my love of music after being in silence for So Long, AND it has introduced me to so much NEW music that I now love
* SUCH AS, this song that has been making me feel happy happy happy this week…and the fact that it’s an Arabic song and where else in my life would I have been introduced to an Arabic song, let alone, love it as much as I do! Grateful for the world being smooshed in my face so I have to notice it.
THURSDAY
* I stayed in bed too long and STILL got to work on time!
* Taco meat for breakfast, yum!
* A Target.com return: Target said here’s your money back, don’t bother returning the item
* A friend who continues to send texts in haiku; Such Commitment!
* Realizing I do NOT need to state my gratitudes in the form of a haiku (cuz you know I went there for a minute)
* My kid is safe (just heard a tragic story about someone else’s who is not)
* Was alone in the office all day so did NOT have to wear a mask AND got to have my music on
FRIDAY
* Once again, made it into work with minutes to spare in spite of lying in bed and hitting snooze WAY too many times
* Pay Day! And I wasn’t even out of money yet!
* Co-worker was up for getting a bagel and coffee delivery (too expensive to do it alone)
* I think I have finally mastered (more or less) the new %*%#%!! phone system (as long as I have notes in front of me) and didn’t lose a single call today. Go me.
* It’s freezing cold and my hair likes that 🙂
* Old friends…and me finally feeling like reaching out to people for a change
* Feeling Friday Recharged (after yesterday when the day chewed me up and spit me out)
* SO GRATEFUL for feeling like THIS these days (below)
@bettyerainwaterFRIDAY RECHARGE!!! ##tgif ##outfitoftheday ##ootd ##ootd ##igotthemusicinme ##what60lookslike♬ Domino Lovers Challenge – tysm for 70k💗
SATURDAY
* Well, you know, SATURDAY. What’s NOT to be grateful for??
* Grumpy Deli Guy was not grumpy for once!
* I did not dribble egg yolk down the front of my shirt while eating my egg sandwich.
SUNDAY
* After being unable to decide what to have for breakfast I left the house having eaten nothing (which is never good for me), but on the way to the market all of a sudden salt bagel with tomato and swiss cheese popped into my head and I went OH YES and literally fist-pumped into the air and tears of joy sprang to my eyes. Wtf?? Sometimes I wonder if the meds should be tweaked just slightly but then I’m like no no I’m holding onto this elation at life for as long as I can. I lived 58 years the other way and it was not that much fun. GRATEFUL to not be THERE anymore.
* There was a tall guy RIGHT THERE when I couldn’t reach something on the top shelf in the market.
* They had BANANA SNAPPLE in the little cooler at the checkout line. I NEVER see banana Snapple anymore! I snapped that puppy right up.
* My favorite market is now on Instacart! Oh the joy!
I mean, here’s the thing. For the most part, these are not big things. In “the old days” I knew to be grateful for, you know, having an income, having a home, having a wonderful daughter…but beyond that I was like…I got nuthin’. All these same kinds of things (above) were happening then, too…I just wasn’t noticing or acknowledging them as gifts. I was only noticing the bad stuff. But the bad stuff AND the good stuff are always there…but now…the good stuff is just on top, you know?
I’m grateful for anyone who read this post all the way to the end. You know who you are. Thank you.
Laurie E
I’m totally with you on appreciating the little things that can make a day feel great. In an odd way I credit Covid with helping me see this. Staying home more has highlighted for me what activities are not necessary, what”needs” can be done without, and that being happy and comfortable in my own skin (and leggings!) is freeing. I feel very lucky.
bettyewp
Yes, things will be very different after last year, for sure. Priorities have certainly shifted…glad you’re feeling free-er (I never know how to spell that – freer? free-er?).
Rhonda
It’s so easy to get down and focused on the bad things happening, and quite an effort sometimes, to focus on the good. But, once you’ve made the effort to be more positive, I think it’s easier to get past the bad. Maybe it’s choosing happy over sad, maybe it’s putting blinders on for the moment, but whatever it takes, looking at the positive can become a habit, just like focusing on the bad. Yeah, things are still going to suck sometimes, but address it, and move on…don’t dwell in the house of ugly….it’s not a good place to be❤️
bettyewp
Oh, I have done me some time in the House of Ugly, for sure.
Thanks for reading!
HelenG
I read right to the end cos your writing always brings a smile to my dial! Have a great week 😀
bettyewp
Aww, thanks Helen. I really thought this would be a short one. Maybe 1-2 things a day tops…but once I got started REALLY noticing, it was like little explosions going off – THIS! THIS! THIS!
Thanks for reading all the way through 🙂
Charlene
So grateful to have found you, and now your blog too! I love your writing, and your authenticity on your IG Lives. Very refreshing and life-giving. Thank you!
bettyewp
Oh yay, you made it! Welcome!
Thanks so much for the kind words and for always commenting on my IG stuff 🙂
jodie filogomo
Now this was SO fun!!!! It goes to show that you can be GREATful (see what I did there)????
XOOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchfostyle.com
Ashley
Gratitude! We could all use a little more of it. I love this. And you dancing to Katy Perry is soooo cute!
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
bettyewp
You mean the Jessie J song- Domino? I CANNOT sit still with that song! What’s annoying is that when you watch the video on the blog there’s like a slight delay, like I’m not dancing to the song at all it, makes me crazy because on TikTok it’s perfect ugh 🙂 BUT, to keep with the theme, I’m grateful to have the opportunity and technology to do that at all!
Iris
It’s always good to be grateful – and no matter what one can always find something to be grateful for. I’m proud of you.
Grace & Peace, Iris
http://www.IrisOriginalsRamblings.com
bettyewp
Thanks, Iris. I’m grateful for your friendship and support all these years!!!
xoxo