with gratitude: september 2020
The research on gratitude practices is strong; when we pause and take the time to recognize and reflect on the things and people in our lives that fulfills us, our sense of well-being increases.
After the year we’ve had, with our daily lives turned upside down and the world as we know it forever changed, gratitude is a practice that has become more important than ever.
There are a million ways to practice gratitude, including gratitude jars, gratitude journals, or even naming three things you are grateful for each day before getting out of bed. Today I’m grateful for:
Gardener’s World: A BBC production I watch on Youtube that ostensibly is about gardening in the UK, but is also a meditation on time, our relationship with the earth, and an ode to doing the things we love for the sheer joy of it. Gorgeous shots of gardens, including presenter Monty Don’s inspiring Longmeadow gardens which were once flat barren fields , are interspersed with how-tos and peeks into the gardens and lives of others.
Passion Iced Tea Lemonade from Starbucks or your own kitchen!: While I’m known for my love of coffee, this is typically my Starbucks order if I’m feeling so inclined; I first was turned onto it during college and have always craved how refreshing, fruity, and fun it is. Upon discovering the Tazo Passion tea, I’ve been making my own version at home. For a simple treat, chill some brewed passion tea, combine with lemonade and ice, and add some syrup as desired.
The Old Guard via Netflix: While I enjoy a good action flick every once in a while, I am much more interested in stories that resonate and luckily the Old Guard has both! With a complex and layered female protagonist in Charlize Theron, the Old Guard tells a story about the family we chose and the ways that we chose to live our lives.
Evening walks with the pup: We’ve had some cooler weather recently and the pup and I have taken advantage of this with evening strolls around the neighborhood admiring the explosion of fall colors, neighbors on front porches, and the sounds of a lazy early autumn evening.