All this month, in all of my classes, all of my quotes have been about gratitude.

I can tell you even sharing quotes on gratitude makes me happier.  Most of them set my heart at ease that we all have something, something to be thankful for – we can start with the air we breathe and our health.  And if I find an extra moment in my day to actually take a breath in whilst thinking about this full concept of abundance and gratitude coming from within, my shoulders automatically relax a little, my face softens, and my heart feels full.  I feel more whole and connected rather than weighted or bogged down.

So during my dog walk today, my thoughts started churning on writing a letter of gratitude for all that I am thankful for thus far this year.  There is a but.  I am challenging myself to include the struggles.  I am currently reading Jay Shetty’s Think like a Monk book and I was drawn to this part about how our lives are an interwoven tapestry of both highs and lows, goods and bads, wins and losses, challenges and periods of ease, etc etc.  And we can’t have that feeling of fullness without having had moments of empty.

So here goes:

I am thankful for having this extra time with my family.  I am thankful for the moments in which we struggled to enjoy the simpler moments and instead we overcomplicated things, because it often drew us back together.  I am thankful for the attention that has been drawn to the race issues in America as well as the time for internal reflection on what one defines as the character they want in a US President.  I am thankful for my neighbors with which we have exchanged food, smiles, check-ins, and waves.  I am thankful for my dogs that have provided numerous snuggles and been amazing walking companions, and the occasional annoyance (mostly the puppy when she chews something she shouldn’t).  I am thankful for the tradition of “take out Fridays” and the restaurants that have worked so hard to stay open and provide yummy food.  I am thankful to the schools and Kira’s teacher who have worked so hard to try to stay open and be of support to the parents.  I am thankful to my body’s ability to get pregnant, the small amount of time I had with this beautiful life inside of me,  and to the doctors and nurses who took care of me that night as Stan and I said goodbye to her in our own way.  They held my hand while I cried and treated me with such care and compassion.  I am thankful to her for giving me this poem that came through me after she left.  I am thankful for my mom’s daily mail to remind us how thankful our children will be for this extra time together and to arrange video chats now and again with drawing contests for the kids often holiday themed.  I am thankful for all the studios I teach and take yoga class at and for my online community.  I am thankful for the gymnastics center Kira goes to that has stayed open and provided a spot for Kira to jump around and be free. I am thankful for the emotions that have come up during this, even the periods of anxiety or tears for no reason because I KNOW that after it was felt, it was released, and I was thankful to no longer have to carry it. I am thankful for online church, to God, and to all the stars that light up that sky every night as well as the sun that rises every morning.

I am thankful.

Breathe in.  Breathe out.  Now you try?!