Gratitude Season 2024

I love the first week of November. It might be one of my favorite weeks of the year, to be honest.

It’s the week after Halloween, and spooky season has come to an end, with all the fall activities - hayrides, apple picking, pumpkin carving, and the like. This week is like taking a deep breath after running a few miles. You breathe deep into your lungs and just enjoy the break. It’s also (usually) a really nice, cool week, to just enjoy fall for what it is, a chilly, cozy season, before the cheer of the holidays is upon us.

For me, the first week of November is a pause. A moment to breathe, to be mindful and to be grateful. To refocus my thoughts toward thankfulness, as my mind typically strays from one assignment, to-do, or event, to another, pretty much 24/7.

Figuratively, that is.

Because as much as I’d like to tell you all that I’ve been extra chill and present and mindful and sipping tea on my front porch in the evenings all week, pondering the blessings of God, that is not the truth.

It’s been one of those weeks that’s as chaotic as Halloween week is when you’ve forgotten to put a costume together, but unplanned. For example, we had a lovely Sunday evening, hanging out with my family watching the game, came home, got the boy in bed, let the girls out one last time before bed at 9 pm, and they come back in, matted, messy, wet and REEKING of skunk.

It was awful. I’ve never smelled that smell up close and it’s horrible.

So it’s been a week of almost constant bathing, since the skunk was IN OUR YARD and sprayed all over it and the girls keep walking through it, trying to keep the house smelling at least neutral, and a low level of stink that comes in waves. I also ran out of baking soda, since it was used up making a de-skunk solution, and forgot about birthday cupcakes I needed to make, which turned out very flat and dense. And Will’s having a sleep regression. Lovely.

So last night, I called Elliot on my way home from work and asked if he and Will would like to go out for frozen yogurt. It was a warm night, and sometimes you just need a little treat. So we went, and had a little picnic and frozen yogurt treat. And sometimes, you just need a minute outside of your crazy life with your little unit, where it doesn’t smell like skunk.

It’s November - gratitude season. So I’m trying to slow down a bit and focus on the things I’m grateful for. Naturally, I made a list. And this list is just the little, itty bitty things. See more in last year’s gratitude post - I explain why

what I’m grateful for..

cozy candles.

cool weather.

baking soda.

birthdays.

my haircut.

pumpkin cupcakes.

toddler giggles.

Sunday football.

finishing my very long audiobook the day the loan expired.

a clean house.

frozen yogurt.

supportive family and help making Will’s life super fun.

dry shampoo.

Christmas music (yes, I’ve sampled a few new albums this year).

I am a broken record, but if you have a few minutes to spare today or tomorrow, I highly suggest writing down just a few things that you’re grateful for. It really does help put things in perspective and keep an attitude of gratitude.