I just snuck in a 40 min strength/core/slant board session after a very long day. Pretty psyched that I got it in and oddly, because my daughter is at a playdate and my sons are off doing their own thing at the moment, I still have time to spend a few minutes to write about what I'm grateful for. This is what comes to mind today:
1. Caroline and the farm. In July of 2020, I started going to Caroline and Bob's farm to volunteer. At first, my motivation was to try to get my kids working there since their farm camp had been cancelled due to COVID-19. Unfortunately, I brought each of my younger kids there once and they did not enjoy it. They were hoping to work with animals, but their only involvement with the animals was feeding weeds to the chickens. My kids didn't want to be there, but I didn't want to just bail. I had committed to coming once a week, just for an hour on a specific day and I could see that the farm needed help. I spent the entire summer weeding, basically. But as time went on, I became friendly with Caroline and she could see that I was committed to doing what she called, "focused work" for that one hour I was there each week. It was true that I told her I would do anything. I was there to do her bidding and I genuinely enjoyed the manual labor because it gave me a sense of accomplishment. It was wonderful to see a row of vegetables covered in weeds and then cleared of weeds when I left. The plants looked happier. As time went on, my jobs varied. I helped clear fences, picked up fallen branches and fed them to the cows, brought hay and water out to the cows and goats, tended to the chickens, shoveled snow, etc. Over time, I grew to really cherish that one hour at the farm. So, this morning, I was there and I'm grateful for every hour that I've been able to spend there. I think in over a year, I've only missed 2 weeks where I couldn't get to the farm. This morning, Caroline and I harvested the remaining watermelons. I did all of the heavy lifting of wheeling wagons full of melons and it was a beautiful crisp morning to be out there, chatting with Caroline while working. More than working at the farm, I'm grateful for my friendship with Caroline.
Harvesting zucchini with Caroline this past summer
2. Music. I really love music and I'm so grateful that I am someone who is really affected by music. I have the unique pleasure of having autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR) with very specific types of music. I can't pinpoint exactly what it is about a song or a piece of classical music that does it to me, but sometimes I will hear a song and get this feeling of tingling that starts in my scalp and then travels down the rest of my body. It is a very calming and pleasurable sensation. It's the same warm, tingly feeling of when I'm really tired and just about to fall asleep. If I use a topical magnesium spray, I can sometimes mimic the feeling as well. I'm grateful that there is this world of music that seems endless. I'm always discovering new music to fall in love with. There are definitely specific artists that I gravitate towards and always come back to, but I love that there is always more to discover. One of these day, I'll post about my long run playlist. I'm always curious to know what folks listen to when they're running. I think a playlist can say a lot about a person. And now that I've reminded myself of the ASMR, I may try to get some tunes in my ears to take away some of the stress I've been experiencing.
3. My kids still let me hug them. This one is a no brainer. Having kids makes one hyper aware of the passage of time. This morning, I looked up at my teenager and I swear he grew at least 2 inches overnight. As he towered over me and was leaving for school, I went in for a hug and I got a hug back as well as an, "I love you." I was so grateful for that moment. Being back in school has been life changing for all of my kids, but I think my oldest one really needed it. He's exponentially happier now that he's back in school and it's amazing to see him actually working hard on school work. My middle son will always be my cuddle bug. He has always been super affectionate. Today, we were on our way to a movie and before we got into the car, he gave me a kiss on the cheek and told me he loved me. It was totally out of the blue, and he does that often. My daughter can be hot and cold, but she's still very affectionate and clearly still enjoys hugs and cuddling up on the couch next to me. We have quiet time before bed every evening and I love that she still wants to hang out with me. Sometimes we'll do a search and find book together, sometimes it's sticker mosaics and other times, we aren't reading the same book, but we're reading in my bed together. I know that I should cherish all of these moments. I'm super grateful that I get to be a Mom to three amazing humans.
I'm in a recovery week, so it's been super mellow miles this week. I only have a 5-6 mile run tomorrow and I'll log less than 20 miles for the week. Grateful to have this week to rest and recover before getting back at it next week.
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