A Year of Gratitude - March 2025 Snapshot

My word for 2024 was GRATITUDE.  To help myself keep the focus on this word all year, I started keeping a gratitude journal on January 1, 2024, and I’ve been writing at least 3-4 things I’m grateful for every single day since then.  I shared little snapshots of each month last year to hold myself accountable, and since I ended up enjoying these posts so much, I decided to continue them in 2025.

I’m only pulling one item from my gratitude journal per day to share here (okay, sometimes two or three), and some of the things are really big things like good health and good relationships, some things are humorous, and some things are the little things that most of the time go unnoticed.  Overall, though, the purpose of this whole exercise is to remember that even on the very worst of days, there is ALWAYS something for which to be grateful.

Always.

March was a month of healing after losing our sweet girl, Maui, at the end of February.  I shed a lot of tears in March, but thankfully, I’ve (mostly) reached the point where I smile or laugh when I think about her rather than turn on the water works.  March was an okay month, and there were lots of things for which to be grateful…  

In March I was grateful…

 

1. That January and February are over.  They were both rough.
2. For being able to reminisce about Maui all day while looking through old pictures of her for a blog post.
3. For a coffee date with Khristina and sunshine, warmth, and an open sunroof.
4. For a lunch date with my old friend and coworker, Greg, and a shopping date with my girl after school.
5. For a beautiful Ash Wednesday Mass with Brian, my Momma, Mama Cass, Aunt Joy, Aunt Becky, and my sweet Olivia… she did such a fantastic job reading during Mass!
6. For happiness watching my girl playing her guitar… she’s learning how to play I Love You, I’m Sorry by Gracie Abrams which is my favorite song on that whole album, and she is doing so well with it.
7. For ten years of blogging, logging memories, and caring for this “baby” of mine.  I’m also incredibly grateful for this blogging community – for my fellow creators with whom I’ve connected, and for all of you who read every single day.
8. For all of the strong women in my life on this International Women’s Day.
9. For Xyzal and Flonase Sensimist because the pollen is out of this world this season (they said we broke a record in Georgia for the highest pollen count on record) and my allergies are RAGING.
10. That Brian ran to the pediatrician’s office to pick up some paperwork so I didn’t have to… I was feeling overwhelmed with things to do, so he took something off my plate for me.
11. That the countdown to spring break is ON!!  We are all so ready for a break!
12. For a sweet text from my friend, Jen, to check on me nearly three weeks after Maui passed away… it was so thoughtful for someone to check in long after the other check-ins had stopped.
13. For the best dinner with old coworkers and being able to spend time with them and catch up with them.  It’s been 7.5 years since I left, and I love that we’ve all stayed close.
14. For the absolute most thoughtful gift left on my doorstep by my friend, Jeannine, (flowers and a signed copy of one of my favorite books written by a dear old friend) and for the sweetest message written inside the book by the author.
15. That Jacob stepped outside of his comfort zone, and he participated in a math tournament at our local university.  He enjoyed it so much and we were so proud of him for trying something new!
16. That we were spared in the storms last night… it was a night of severe weather including tornadoes all over the southeast, but thankfully, our entire area was spared.
17. For a fun time with friends at my friend, Jeannine’s, St. Patrick’s Day party.
18. FOR A MASSAGE!!!!  It was my first one in almost 15 years.
19. For an open line of communication with both of our kids.  I am so grateful that they talk to me about any and every little thing, and that they don’t feel like they have to hide anything.
20. For 96 years of Mama Cass!!  Happy birthday!!!!  We pray you live to see 100 and then some!
21. For Brian for helping me blow up balloons for the dance, for a great team of people to get the dance planned, set up, implemented, and cleaned up, and for a fun evening watching the mothers and sons enjoy themselves.  Oh, and that we got through the night with no injuries… those boys were wild, y’all.  Lol.
22. For music… it is most definitely my love language.
23. For an inbox with only two emails in it… so rare to have it whittled down that much!
24. For a positive mindset and the most productive day ever.  It feels so great to get things done after months of being constantly behind.
25. For getting all of my pictures and memories of Maui organized and recorded in a blog post so she can live on forever not only in our hearts, but on the internet.  So grateful the kids will have this post to look back on forever and ever.  <3
26. For no pain today in my jaw or neck… first time in weeks!
27. That I was finally able to get back in the alumni relations Google doc after being locked out for a long time… I have so much catching up to do!
28. For the best night with friends playing poker… lots of chatter, lots of laughs, and lots of fun!
29. For God’s grace after complaining and being in a bad mood aaaallll day because of the unrelenting jaw, neck, head, and shoulder pain I experienced.  And for my acupressure mat… because it usually helps a little when nothing else does.
30. For a safe trip to Nashville, and for quality time with my Aunt Retta who I hadn’t seen in  years.
31. That we weren’t affected by the tornadoes west of Nashville last night, that the rain cleared up for a day of exploring, and FOR LIVE MUSIC.  Amen.

 

Happy Wednesday, y’all!  What is something you’re grateful for today?