Practicing gratitude on a snowy start to spring break: Day 10
I am creating an online journal during the Coronavirus social distancing so I can look back and remember how my thoughts and actions might change during this time. This is Day 10.
Monday, March 23
Today was the first day of spring break, and we woke up to a blanket of soft white snow covering the earth. I would have preferred some warmer weather to enjoy the week off of school. But it’s Day 10 of our Coronavirus confinement, and I welcomed a change in scenery that helped separate this day from all of the others.
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Kent and I took Cooper for a walk, and I was surprised how great it felt outside. The temperature was milder than it has been the past few days. The air felt so fresh and pleasant. The world was beautiful.
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The days of separation are starting to blend together. And yet, today I decided to focus on all that I’m grateful for.
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I’m thankful that I can take the dog for a walk at 7:40, instead of 6:20 a.m. Before social distancing, I had to get him out when it was still dark outside to fit in our walk before I got ready for work.
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I’m grateful for extra time with my husband who doesn’t have to leave the house at 6 a.m. to catch an early train into the city.
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I’m so thankful for this beautiful place where I live. I can step outside my house onto a nature trail that circles the prairie.
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I’m grateful we’re all healthy. We are starting to hear about more people we know who have put themselves in quarantine because they might have been exposed.
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I’m grateful for technology that allows me to continue to have productive work days and meet with my co-workers even when we can’t be in the same room.
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I’m thankful that our kids are accepting the terms of the state’s shelter in place order without argument. With four kids — and three of them teenagers — I think about how much more difficult this would be if they were angry or arguing about the need to stay home.
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I’m thankful for our puppy, Cooper. He has finally started settling down from his crazy puppy stage, and he’s becoming a sweet companion in life. We literally aren’t sure what we even talked about before we had Cooper to discuss on a daily basis. Today is National Puppy Day, and we celebrated with a mud bath! After the snow melted, Jayda and I took him to a fenced in area and let him run. He was a MESS afterward, but he had so much fun!
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I’m thankful for family dinners almost every night and the chance to have meaningful conversations as a family.
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I’m grateful for Jayda and the friend she is to everyone in the family. She plays basketball with Andrew, watches movies with Alayna, lifts weights with Matthew, helps take Cooper for walks, and she is my sidekick in working puzzles, playing games and doing crafts. With the age gap between her and the older kids, I’m always worried she’ll feel lonely or left out. But she goes out of her way to spend time with each person in our family.
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I’m grateful for a family game of Monopoly, which we haven’t played in YEARS. I really don’t enjoy Monopoly, but the kids wanted to play, so I was happy to join in!
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What are you grateful for during this time?
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Read my past posts:
What does this mean for us?: Day One
Sunday morning painting party: Day Two
This isn’t difficult: Day Three
Working and learning at home: Day Five
“All the hours are the same!” Day Eight
Art journaling for mental health, Day Nine
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