This month is full of lessons, about life, habits, and letting go.
1. Grateful for the Vaccines
Yes, I got vaccinated this month! In another life, I did scientific research at the academic level, and I only scratched the surface of how precise, focused and painstaking the work is to research medical treatments. We are so lucky that we have vaccines available so quickly to end this pandemic pain.
I got the Johnson & Johnson “one and done”, right before it was briefly taken off the market and then put back on. As a sub-Gratitude, I am glad I got the shot on a Friday so I could recover over the weekend. I had fever, chills, migraine, muscle weakness, pain in the shot area. Generally unpleasant. But now I feel great, no side effects whatsoever and yes, I’ve already dined indoors, and it was fabulous!
2. Grateful for Progress
As I lay in pain after receiving the vaccine, I gratefully took a dose of Veritas Farms fully legal CBD tincture and felt a huge sense of relief. I can order soup with my phone, listen to a calming app, and enjoy the rainbow flag I have hanging in my room. After relaxing a bit, I streamed shows about nature and ancient civilizations because I couldn’t focus on reading or writing. It all got me thinking, even though there is a long way to go, as a society we have come a long way, and I am grateful for that.
Even more, I’m grateful for progress because it means we will make it through these difficult times. Food, clothing, and shelter are all getting more expensive while small businesses struggle hard and storefronts are empty. Where I live, homeless tents line the streets and crowd the beach. It’s easy to feel alarmed, sad, and overwhelmed. But I think we’ll make it, as painful as things are now. As a society we’ve already gone through a lot just in my lifetime!
3. Grateful for Adventures
The Buy Nothing Challenge this month taught me that buying things is not nearly as rewarding as adventures and experiences for me.
‘Adventures’ often signals something grandiose to many people, like international travel to a multi-day backpacking trek. Most of us haven’t been able to do that for a long time, myself included. (Not that I’m not itching to do so.) It’s made me realize how grateful I am for all of life’s adventures. Enjoying local and mini-adventures is so rewarding too!
- Long runs through the neighborhoods on Sunday morning
- Bicycle rides
- Body boarding
- Dancing
- Going to shops and restaurants in a different neighborhood
- Hiking in the hills, parks and forest
- Rafting on a warm day
- Ordering from a new local restaurant
- Walking the dog to the park
- A new learning course online related to my job or interests
- Taking photos of interesting buildings and views
- Driving for an hour and being in a totally different place
Adventures can be anything new that takes you out of the comfort zone and into a new vibe. Now that I’m vaccinated, it means meeting new people “IRL” even. It’s all a gift that’s available to everyone and so rewarding.
4. Grateful for Comedy
Besides dining out and checking out shops again, the first thing I did post-vaccination was go to a comedy show! (Check out Nate Adamsky on Instagram to see this crew.)
Most people reading probably already know I quote comedy bits all the time and watch/ listen to comedy to get through dark days. I even love comedy while driving. One of the last things I did pre-COVID was attend a comedy show with my friends in Portland, and one in Hollywood.
Laughter is great medicine, and now I have a troupe of amazing comedians to support and I plan to go to many more shows. Comedy is so important to me that I am giving it a bonus gratitude!
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