For the longest time I was in the habit of sharing my daily reasons to be happy or thankful. I am not entirely sure why I let that habit slide this year, although I tend to think that there really wasn't a reason to share my list publicly every day, even if I still made a mental list throughout the day. With this weekend being Canadian Thanksgiving, most people's thoughts turn towards gratitude and thankfulness. For all that is not good or right in the world, our countries, cities or neighbourhoods, we have so much to for which to be thankful.
I was awake reasonably early this morning, a bit later than my normal but still earlier than my body felt prepared for. My training is back to a high volume block, so this week at the gym has been more demanding and fatiguing. Yesterday I had a massage, and no, it wasn't the relaxation kind of massage. My RMT found some particularly tender spots in my upper back and my right glute, which means those areas are feeling extra special today and, in fact, are probably why my body was so reluctant to wake up. But I am thankful to have a team of amazing people taking care of me, from my coach to my chiropractor to my massage therapist! They are people I genuinely like and care about outside of the gym or the clinic. As much as my body is uncomfortable today, I am so thankful for the way my body has been feeling and improving especially this year. The five year anniversary of my injury is less than a month away, so I have been thinking a lot about where I used to be and the long road to where I am today. I am not pain-free, but I haven't felt this good in about five years.
I am thankful for my friends. My girlfriends are getting together tonight. Even though it has been a while since we last got together, I will not be there with them. We're a little more scattered than we once were, and life never seems to get any slower for any of us. But good friends don't get bothered too much by the distance or time apart, finding ways to stay connected and having no trouble at all settling back into the rhythm when they do reconnect. I can be fine on my own, but I love my friends and I love that they love me.
The reason I won't be hanging out with my friends tonight is because we're having our family Thanksgiving dinner. I have been puttering around the house all day, doing laundry, vacuuming, and doing various bits of prep for dinner. For the first time ever, I am making two turkeys for dinner! Neither turkey is terribly big, so with the desire to have enough for leftovers I opted to make both. The first one was in the oven all morning and has now been sliced and put aside for later, while the second one is currently in the oven until shortly before dinner. My house smells delicious. I am thankful for family. I am thankful for the new branch on the family tree with the addition of a son-in-law. I'm not too sure I'm used to saying son-in-law, but I do love him and am thankful he's part of the family now. I am thankful for the food we will have on the table. Times are tough for many, but we have more than enough and are incredibly blessed.
An attitude of gratitude is one that I have cultivated within myself to the point that it is as much a part of who I am as the colour of my eyes or my fingerprints. My list of things I am thankful for is unlikely to ever end. I might keep my list to myself or I might share it with others, but I am always observant, always looking for the extraordinary in the ordinary, the ray of sun breaking through the clouds, the reason to sing in the rain. It is a habit that changes your perspective and attitude.
Some other things I am thankful for:
- summer-like weather in September and October
- post-injury PRs for squats and deadlifts and an all-time bench PR five years in the making
- crisp early mornings with cloudless skies to see the constellations when I leave the house for work
- the best co-workers
- reading glasses
- cat medication that can rubbed into her ear
- my pumpkin pie, Death Star brownies, and sticky toffee pudding
- post-season baseball (and hopeful the Jays can extend their stay)
- everything that is Autumn
- fan on, window open, and my duvet
- although my doctor is leaving practice, at least she has a replacement to take over her patients
- long weekends often means Star Wars marathons on TV
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