It's Thanksgiving weekend in Canada, and I thought it appropriate to write out a list of everything I'm grateful for.
It's been a whirlwind of a year. Within the span of one year we sold our old property and moved to our dream place. I quit my job without knowing if and when I would find a new one; but I did, and it's better than I dared to hope.
Richard fulfilled his dream of owning cows.
We adopted another big, fluffy dog.
I wrote a book.
It's been a crazy, overwhelming, beautiful year, sometimes harder than expected, but mostly better than I could have ever imagined.
Here is my (hopelessly incomplete) list of things I'm thankful for:
I'm grateful for Richard being back home after being gone for 18 loooong days. I missed the old fart.
I'm grateful for receiving the most beautiful email from Jennifer, a new blog reader. She wrote to me to express her thanks for talking about difficult stuff on the blog, and I can't put into words how much this means to me. Here is a part of her wonderful email: "It can be so confusing and some days can be a REAL internal battle but I find so much motivation and courage from other women and hearing/reading about their journeys, yourself included. I love to see strong women succeed, in their relationships, jobs, creative ventures or whatever it may be, I just love seeing people strive for their happy. Most importantly, I just want to say a huge THANK-YOU! For your honesty and showing your vulnerable side, because so many of us stay quiet and hide this amazing and precious side of ourselves. I feel like we all need to speak up once in a while and be more open because we could be an inspiration to others experiencing the same struggles."
Jennifer, you made my day with your kind gesture!
I'm grateful for living in a town where help is just one click away. Merritt has a private Facebook group, and that group has been invaluable to me. When my computer suddenly turned black and wouldn't turn back on (NIGHTMARE!), I frantically asked the group about a computer repair shop in town. Within a couple of minutes, I had five suggestions plus evaluations, and found a nice guy who fixed my computer for a great price. He works from home, which means I would never have found him without the group, but I'm so glad I did.
A few weeks later, I needed head shots done (for my book!), and upon trying (and failing) to do the old tripod-and-10-sec-timer routine, I asked my trusty FB pals for help.
They did not disappoint.
Not only did I receive a private message from a photographer within 15 minutes, I also received several replies recommending this very photographer. Two days later we did the shoot, which was yesterday. Julie came to my place, because that's where I'm most comfortable, and while I haven't seen the photos yet, the little glimpses on her camera were brilliant. The light was amazing, I curled my hair, and it was a really positive experience. Have I mentioned that I love my town?
I'm grateful for neighbours who have turned into friends who feed me. Jenny is my Canadian mom, and she has cooked for me every night since they returned from vacation until Rich came home. I love her.
I'm grateful for surprise gifts. Rich left his car at his oldest friends' place before his trip, and when he returned to pick it up, Jessie gave him a gift for me. Well, two gifts: An apron and a teapot cozy, both made by her, out of this fabric ↡
It's farm animals doing yoga!!! I can't even express how much I love it. I've never been an apron-wearing cook before, but I am most certainly now! I'll be wearing this bad boy when I cook dinner tomorrow, and I have never looked forward to cooking more.
It's been a whirlwind of a year. Within the span of one year we sold our old property and moved to our dream place. I quit my job without knowing if and when I would find a new one; but I did, and it's better than I dared to hope.
Richard fulfilled his dream of owning cows.
We adopted another big, fluffy dog.
I wrote a book.
It's been a crazy, overwhelming, beautiful year, sometimes harder than expected, but mostly better than I could have ever imagined.
Here is my (hopelessly incomplete) list of things I'm thankful for:
I'm grateful for Richard being back home after being gone for 18 loooong days. I missed the old fart.
I'm grateful for receiving the most beautiful email from Jennifer, a new blog reader. She wrote to me to express her thanks for talking about difficult stuff on the blog, and I can't put into words how much this means to me. Here is a part of her wonderful email: "It can be so confusing and some days can be a REAL internal battle but I find so much motivation and courage from other women and hearing/reading about their journeys, yourself included. I love to see strong women succeed, in their relationships, jobs, creative ventures or whatever it may be, I just love seeing people strive for their happy. Most importantly, I just want to say a huge THANK-YOU! For your honesty and showing your vulnerable side, because so many of us stay quiet and hide this amazing and precious side of ourselves. I feel like we all need to speak up once in a while and be more open because we could be an inspiration to others experiencing the same struggles."
Jennifer, you made my day with your kind gesture!
I'm grateful for living in a town where help is just one click away. Merritt has a private Facebook group, and that group has been invaluable to me. When my computer suddenly turned black and wouldn't turn back on (NIGHTMARE!), I frantically asked the group about a computer repair shop in town. Within a couple of minutes, I had five suggestions plus evaluations, and found a nice guy who fixed my computer for a great price. He works from home, which means I would never have found him without the group, but I'm so glad I did.
A few weeks later, I needed head shots done (for my book!), and upon trying (and failing) to do the old tripod-and-10-sec-timer routine, I asked my trusty FB pals for help.
They did not disappoint.
Not only did I receive a private message from a photographer within 15 minutes, I also received several replies recommending this very photographer. Two days later we did the shoot, which was yesterday. Julie came to my place, because that's where I'm most comfortable, and while I haven't seen the photos yet, the little glimpses on her camera were brilliant. The light was amazing, I curled my hair, and it was a really positive experience. Have I mentioned that I love my town?
I'm grateful for neighbours who have turned into friends who feed me. Jenny is my Canadian mom, and she has cooked for me every night since they returned from vacation until Rich came home. I love her.
I'm grateful for surprise gifts. Rich left his car at his oldest friends' place before his trip, and when he returned to pick it up, Jessie gave him a gift for me. Well, two gifts: An apron and a teapot cozy, both made by her, out of this fabric ↡
It's farm animals doing yoga!!! I can't even express how much I love it. I've never been an apron-wearing cook before, but I am most certainly now! I'll be wearing this bad boy when I cook dinner tomorrow, and I have never looked forward to cooking more.
I'm grateful for having a job I like, a passion I love, and a soulmate to share it all with.
Life is so unpredictable and crazy. And short. It's so very, very short. This year alone I've had several deaths in my family, my brother-in-law's family, and in our community. Another person close to me was just diagnosed with cancer. The world seems to be going insane with natural catastrophes like hurricanes and wildfires, and man-made catastrophes like terrorist attacks, insane shootings, and too much hate.
Life can be brutal, but it's also wildly, exhilaratingly beautiful.
I believe that in the face of all these disasters, we shouldn't despair. On the contrary: Let's live as loudly as humanly possible!
Do the thing you've always wanted to do, but were too afraid to. When the fear threatens to take over, remind yourself of this: Life is fucking short. You don't know what tomorrow might bring. In the face of all the terrible stuff that's going on in the world, what do you have to lose? Pride? Comfort? Honestly, I can't even think of anything else. What was I always so afraid of? Oh yeah, I remember: other people's opinions. How ridiculous. How insignificant.
Do what makes you happy. Do it every day, as much as you can. Never stop being thankful. Live life as fully as you can. Look for beauty, it's everywhere. Look for kindness, and you will find it.
Life is precious, and it's so damn short.
You have nothing to lose. GO FOR IT!!
To all my fellow Canadians: Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
To everybody else: Have a wonderful weekend. Do something crazy! You deserve it.
Much love,
Miriam xoxo
Top image found here.
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