I do a gratitude exchange every night with a friend in another country. We’ve been doing it (off and on) for about 4 years now, I think. Sometimes we’re better at it than others….sometimes we let months go by without a text and then one of us with pop in with “can we start our gratitude again?”…and then we’re back for awhile.

It’s a way to keep in touch and up to date, but it’s created a closeness that we wouldn’t have otherwise as we don’t often get the chance to just ‘chat’. It’s also made it so that I’m more likely to keep to a daily gratitude list because if I don’t send my text, she’ll send hers and it will remind me. Or vice versa.

We list three things each day. Sometimes they just come pouring out onto the list easily and I could rattle off 2 or 3 more. Other days…other days it’s hard to come up with even 1. On those days, my gratitude becomes things like:

1. I have a lovely apartment
2. I woke up this morning (many people did not)
3. I do not need to worry about where/how to get food

Some days, things just seem so overwhelming that I struggle to find anything I’m grateful for. Which, on the days where it flows freely, make no sense as I really do have absolutely so much to be grateful for!

Here are some of my gratitudes from the past 2 weeks (in no particular order):

1. A great workout
2. A quiet evening at home
3. Finding a veggie “chicken” burger that tastes like KFC!
4. De-alcoholised sparkling rose
5. A long catchup with my bestie
6. My cat and his cuteness overload
7. A productive work day
8. My intuition
9. Fresh Italian gelato
10. My sister
11. A work week where I didn’t feel angry or agitated
12. First afternoon nap in about 10 years
13. Pancakes with peaches and whipping cream
14. Sitting in a different char in the living room – perspective
15. A calmer brain
16. Brunch and a city walk
17. Self honesty
18. Getting up before the sun and enjoying a quiet moring
19. Pizza!
20. Beautiful crystals

Right now, I’m grateful for a random text from an old friend I haven’t seen in over 10 years but have re-connected with. She said that she would never forget the day I picked her and her Mom up from the airport. I, meanwhile, have no idea about that day. It’s funny how memory works. Something that is a completely memorable event for one person is forgotten by another. Now that she’s reminded me though, I remember. They were meant to have been picked up by someone else but they no-showed so I went to the airport to get them. As a friend would…which is why to me, it didn’t stick. It’s just what you do. She followed the story with a text that said “You are such an amazing person. Kindness, that’s who you are.”

Sometimes I wish I could see myself through other’s eyes. I say that to my Mum sometimes – that I wish she could see herself the way others do. So that perhaps she’d have a glimpse at how wonderful she is.

Today I am grateful for that text…for a glimpse in to how others may see me. And extremely grateful for having met that friend oh so many years ago. Also grateful to be writing this post while watching the sun come up, listening to an amazing relaxing album that a friend somewhere else in the world created! There’s 3 for today and it’s only 7am!

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