I recently read my friend Deb’s post about being grateful, and her spontaneous list inspired me to count what I’m thankful for, too.
Tales from the Motherland is hosting a LinkUp for bloggers to post their own gratitude missives. The instructions are easy:
If you’d like to join in, here’s how it works: set a timer for 10 minutes; timing this is critical. Once you start the timer, start your list (the timer doesn’t matter for filling in the instructions, intro, etc). The goal is to write 50 things that made you happy in 2015, or 50 thing that you feel grateful for. The idea is to not think too hard; write what comes to mind in the time allotted. When the timer’s done, stop writing. If you haven’t written 50 things, that’s ok. If you have more than 50 things and still have time, keep writing; you can’t feel too happy or too grateful! When I finished my list, I took a few extra minutes to add links and photos.
To join us for this project: 1) Write your post and publish it (please copy and paste the instructions from this post, into yours) 2) Click on the blue frog at the very bottom of this post. 3) That will take you to another window, where you can past the URL to your post. 4)Follow the prompts, and your post will be added to the Blog Party List. Please note: the InLinkz will expire on January 15, 2015. After that date, no blogs can be added.
Will you join in? All it takes is 10 minutes!
The end of the year is the perfect time to reflect on the many, many good things in my life. I’m looking forward to 2016, but first, here are 50 small things for which I’m grateful.
A new year, full of gratitude
- The sound of Eric and the girls laughing
- My home in a town I love
- Dairy- and soy-free dessert
- Quiet moments to snuggle my super-patient dog
- Hot water in the shower
- Pandora and Spotify—who has CDs anymore?
- The library
- Heated seats in my car
- Tea
- Rare opportunities to drink my tea while it’s still hot
- Snail mail
- Board games with loved ones
- My job
- Drawings from our tiny artist
- The smell of dough rising
- Photos framed on the wall
- Clear and rainless days
- Hiking trails
- Social media
- Days when the girls sleep in
- Grandparents visiting on the days the girls get up much too early
- Grandparents
- New friends and old friends
- Oregon tap water
- Cozy blankets
- NPR
- Christmas lights
- Candlelight
- Health insurance
- FaceTime
- Moms’ Group
- Time spent with loved ones who have passed
- The Oregon coast
- The opportunity and privilege of breastfeeding
- Baby monitors
- The Dollar Store
- Our safe neighborhood
- Nana Nanny, aka my mom
- Glitter glue
- A sense of humor—mine and others’
- Paint, markers and art supplies that are washable
- Bath time
- Memories
- Blogging and the virtual community I’ve found online
- Vitamins
- Amazon Prime
- Airplanes
- Camera phones
- And most of all, these goofballs
What are you grateful for?
I meant to do this one and forgot! Thanks for the reminder. You have a great list.. I will have to sit down and do this one tonight after the kids go to bed 🙂
Thank you! Can’t wait to read yours!
Thanks for the great idea, I love reflecting on the year we just ended and working on the one to come. Goodbye 2015, hello 2016!
Transitions like the New Year are good times to take stock!
What a wonderful gratitude list! Such a great practice to write these sweet things down once in a while. Happy 2016!
It’s a good reminder of all the, well, good I have in my life!
Love this! I too have been meaning to write a gratitude list – thanks for the inspiration.
Funny how it doesn’t take long but I do it so infrequently. That would be a good resolution!
I miss #24 so much, and second #45 with special heartiness! 🙂
You are a significant part of #45, m’dear!
What a great way to reflect back and not forget all the great things that the year brought. Happy New Year!
To you, too! Here’s to many more good things in 2016!
What a wonderful idea, Catherine. I have spent a great deal of time counting my blessings lately, but haven’t taken the time to commit them to black and white. Sounds like a good way to kick off my journal this year.
May you have many, many more blessings in 2016, too, Renee!
What a wonderful list! So happy that you joined my #BloggersUniteInGratitude party. I’m glad I kept it up through January 15th, as so many other bloggers are joining. It’s been really inspiring reading all the lists! #45 is clearly high on my list too, and loved your photos. I live in WA state, so we share some wonderful trails… I spend a lot of time in Bend and Portland too. 🙂 Thanks so much for joining.
PS) do you have a Twitter account? I’ll tweet your name w/others who’ve participated.
Yes! I’m @CatherineRyanG. Thanks Dawn!
You clearly struck a chord with a lot of bloggers! What a great idea—something worth revisiting later, too! Thanks for the idea.
great idea!
Thanks! It was fun.
Beautiful…love your list. And the pics. Cherish every moment. ?
It’s nice to have visuals alongside text to remind me of all the good things in my life!
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What a great list! This is definitely something I’m going to try.
I’d love to read yours – post it here when you’re done if you like!
Thank you. What a lovely happy thing to do – has given me a real buzz. Here’s mine: https://housestillstanding.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/feeling-grateful/
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Oh what a lovely project. I love seeing gratitude lists and love that children’s laughter tops yours. I run a weekly Gratitude and Goals linky and would love for you to link this up to it!
Thanks Julie! I’ll do that.
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What a great idea! And a lovely list. Glitter glue rocks. IMO so do CDs – but I haven’t yet played around with Spotify so that might change 🙂
All the best for 2016!
Spotify is great – I use it on my phone so I can listen to music while I shower!
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Hey Catherine, not sure if you’d be interested, but loved your list last year… this year’s #BloggersUnite for #50HappyThings is only open until January 5th. Hope you’ll join! Happy New Year! https://talesfromthemotherland.me/2016/12/18/50-happy-things-bloggers-unite/
Dawn, I so loved reading the gratitude lists you linked to this year and can’t wait to immerse myself in the happy again in 2017! Happy New Year!