I took a day off from work today. I had planned to do chores and run errands I would otherwise do on a weekend. I have a long list of to-do including finishing this blog entry for Thanksgiving. As I finished my second cup of coffee, listening to a Patsy Cline record, I thought, “How lucky am I?” How lucky that I get to have a day like this? A day when I can appreciate moments of silence buried in my thoughts, drinking good coffee, and listening to music as loads of laundry go through their wash cycles. My days are busy…even during this time of pandemic. My days and weeks go by so fast, that sometimes it is difficult to remember what happened just yesterday. For this blog post, I wanted to remind myself of how lucky I truly am. I am grateful for the little things that make my life grand.
1. A six-mile commute to work (that actually takes 10 minutes) is as good as it gets, if you are an Angeleno. My previous job was a nine-mile commute that took 45 to 60 minutes, each way. I might just be forever scarred from those times when I sat in traffic on Sunset Boulevard, full of worry that I would not be able to pick up my son from school in time.
2. Having a great team that shows up to work with me as early as 3 a.m. in the morning, full of energy and positivity, is an exceptional piece of good fortune.
3. A workplace that prioritizes on keeping my co-workers and me safe every day.
4. I am grateful for being able to afford to stock our kitchen with bacon, eggs, cheese, and pasta. This allows me to create simple and delicious family meals quickly.
5. Salt.
6. I am thankful for rest breaks, no matter how brief, when I can gather my thoughts, write, listen to music, read a few pages of a book, online shop, crush candies, check on people’s lives on social media or simply do nothing.
7. In the last year and a half, my work shifts usually start before dawn. Getting my mind and body conditioned to sleep at 7:30 p.m. and wake up at 3 a.m. was not an easy feat. I am ALMOST used to it now. However, I am thankful for quick afternoon naps that help recharge my brain and body.
8. Coffee.
9. I am thankful for the early morning text exchanges with my family. The heart emojis, “xoxo’s,” and positive wishes help fuel my day.
10. I am grateful for the mornings I get to take Max to school, and for the afternoons when I pick him up. The 10-minute morning commute gives us time to share with each other what we are looking forward to in our day, while the afternoon drive home is usually full of conversation about how our day actually went. Some days are better than other days, but all are improved when I get this “car time” with my son.
11. I am thankful for the free after school program provided by LAUSD. Without it, our day-to-day schedule would be very challenging, if not impossible.
12. I am grateful for having choices on almost everything I do daily. What to eat, what to say, how to act, how to spend my day, when to take it easy on myself and other people, how to manage stress, how to be. Whether I choose correctly or not…it is my choice.
I could go on and on, but the point is this: with all the chaos, noises, ups-and-downs, busy days, lazy days, bad days, unpredictable situations, and even the days when my best is only OK, my life is good. It is a beautiful world.
On this day off, I decided to make myself a breakfast reminiscent of my childhood with my grandmother. I made Filipino-style eggplant omelet. It looked delicious and tasted better. I ate it with gratitude, savoring each bite as it satisfied my cravings of family, childhood memories, and flavors of the country of my birth. I am grateful for this moment and all the moments that make my life.
Happy thanksgiving. I hope you celebrate the little things that make your life terrific!
CLICK HERE to download the recipes