What I’m Thankful for in #2020

As we are in 2020, I thought I would share 20 things I have been thankful for in the last year:

1. My faith is the foundation of my life. Whenever things are rocky or seem hopeless, my faith in God and His plan get me through. I pray, I hope, and I try to live faithfully in the present.
2. God’s provision and grace have been abundant this year. He has provided good work for me during the pandemic, has given me a great husband to be quarantined with, and many other blessings. God has graciously changed my perspective along the way when I have been tempted to be discontent and ungrateful for the hand we all seem to have been dealt this year.
3. My husband and our marriage have blessed me and helped me to grow during this time. He’s the kind of person who is very direct and deals with things head-on, which pushes me to face what I would avoid at times. I also learned just what a committed caregiver he can be. He has been very sweet and supportive of me in starting my own business, and he cared for me when I was very sick at one point.
4. Freedom is a gift I too often take for granted. But the truth is, the country I live in, and the education and opportunities I have access to are gifts that give me the freedom to pursue my dreams instead of simply surviving.
5. My apartment is a mixed bag, but the truth is that we have it pretty good. Sure, the floors dip dangerously, the doorways are crooked, and there are lots of gaps and holes we’ve had to fill up so that the roaches don’t get us, but we have a place of own that has air conditioning (well, we bought a window unit) and heat! We have a place to live, at a reasonable price for living in the city.
6. Good friends are hard to find. Seriously. But I have some pretty great ones. Some live far away, and some near, but during the pandemic that hasn’t mattered so much as I talk to almost everyone on the phone or Zoom. I am thankful for the honest, genuine, caring people I can call friends.
7. Our new church has been a great blessing to us. From prayer support to providing a sense of community, our church has been a source of encouragement to us. We appreciate how the church balances genuinely caring for people with staying true to God’s word.
8. Health dictates our level of enjoyment and passion for life sometimes. I had an Ulcerative Colitis flare up during the Pandemic, and it gave me a new perspective. I had a potentially life-threatening issue, and it sparked something in me to live with renewed passion and purpose, and to never take the times I am feeling well for granted.
9. Sleep has been a constant struggle in my life. I have trouble turning off my active brain at night. Yoga, hot baths, herbal teas (especially mint!) can help a little, but then there’s nightmares and body aches that wake me up. The truth is, I am just thankful every time I actually do get a good night’s sleep and am able to awake refreshed.
10. My clients have helped to keep me on track and productive this year. I am thankful for their patronage and for trusting me to do my best work for them. Many have been a pleasure to work with, and some of the projects have been very fulfilling and exciting for me.
11. Writing projects have become my thing. I get excited and energized when starting a new project, and I love the satisfaction of getting each part of it done (and done well!). I have some new ones planned for the coming year that I am particularly excited about…stay tuned!
12. Books have long been my portal to another time and place. This year, they have been the vacation I couldn’t take, and the imaginative places I could explore instead of traveling.
13. My education has provided me with many different tools. I have come to appreciate the influence and guidance of my BA and MA professors, and have treasured some of the books and concepts they introduced me to. I have been able to build on many of the foundations laid by being trained in literature analysis, Biblical exegesis, research, writing, and the importance of having the right hermeneutical lens (in both a Biblical and philosophical sense).
14. Entertainment has been a happy escape this year. My husband and I have been fans of the Voice, the Masked Singer, Doctor Who and Stargate SG-1 (and Atlantis), but this year we searched for some new shows. We have enjoyed watching Insane Pools, Star Trek Enterprise, and now the American version of The Weakest Link. I also watch a lot of sappy Hallmark movies. We’ve enjoyed playing games like Splendor, Pandemic (we have like 6+ versions we go between), Catan, Dominion (we have all 13 sets), 7 Wonders, Forbidden Island, and others. Yes, we are nerds 🙂
15. Good weather and sunshine have been welcome, happy days that energize me, and occasionally tempt me to walk around the loop behind our apartment building (when others aren’t there, of course).
16. Food (and being able to eat!) can be a simple comfort. Whenever I am not having digestive issues due to Ulcerative Colitis, I am ecstatically happy and enjoy eating immensely. I never want to take for granted that we have access to good healthy foods that can nourish us.
17. Bath salts are amazing. They can sooth any muscle ache! This year, that has been important as I have overdone the exercise more than once, and my hands and arms get sore from so much typing at times. Also, I love the ones with the soothing essential oils!
18. This blogging community is great. Truly, there are some wonderful people on WP with great thoughts and interesting stories to share. I have loved reading others’ writing and have appreciated when they read mine, too!
19. We got an exercise bike about a month ago, and it was a great decision! It has helped us to get some exercise even on the cold and gloomy days, and because it is a low-key exercise that doesn’t feel like work, it has helped me to stay consistent.
20. Animals and plants are amazing. I have watched my houseplants grow and flourish, and I appreciate the squirrels, birds, outdoor neighbor cats, and trees we can look at out the window. I guess I’m also thankful for windows, too 🙂

What about you? What have you been thankful for in 2020?