Taking Stock of Life
last night, my husband and i did something very sophisticated – we attended the symphony in vancouver, washington! crossing state lines to get some culture in our blood constitutes a big deal for a sunday night for us.
our dear (and classy) friends alison and matt invited us and as we turned out of our neighborhood, we took stock of where we were right at that moment. it started by my husband remarking about what a cool city we currently live in as we drove over one of the bridges (we are paying extra attention to the beauty of portland since we are leaving it very soon). i then said how i was so happy there was a break in the rain just before we left so i could take our dog sugar on an adequate walk. it was great that we didn’t get drenched but even better that my legs work well enough to walk a mile with her!
things started to flow from us about the gratitude we have for our health, that we have fun friends to spend time with, that we have all of our senses to be able to fully experience a symphony and reliable transportation to get us there. at one point, i even said to him “wow! aren’t we lucky to be in love with each other and love that is fully given and received!? it would suck if i was super in love with you and you were sort of like ‘yeah..i guess you’re cool.‘” he followed up with “for real! i super love you too AND how awesome is it we can buy whatever we want at the grocery store?!”
*side note – there are currently nine boxes of cereal in our home because my husband went grocery shopping the last two times. nine (and they should last 1.5 weeks).
i am not sharing this with you to make it appear that our life is perfect because it isn’t. we have stressors, personal things going on and hellllllo we are moving and don’t have a place to live yet in colorado. regardless, the things we have both big and small in our lives far outweigh those stressors. creating that list together, on a whim, filled us both with such gratitude and appreciation for the life we currently live together.
when was the last time you took stock of all the things going right in your life?
we never take for granted that we can generally purchase the foods we want and desire nowadays from the grocery story. when we first moved to portland, we had a strict list and could spend only $20-30 on groceries. i would encourage you to take 5 minutes and list out all the great things that are happening in your life. pay close attention to your relationships, your health, your finances, your career, your hobbies and even the amount of cereal boxes you have at home!
while we all may not be 100% happy in all of those areas, there are absolutely a few things in each category to be grateful for! try it out and see how your mood changes for the better and the world seems a bit brighter.
so…share with me something that is good in one area of your life right this moment?
happy monday friends!
Elyse
January 18, 2016 at 10:21 am
I always love a good ‘Gratitude List’ but I LOVE your response to gratitude to two-sided love. Magical. Spot on.
Last nights ‘gratefuls that I can remember:
Him: That my wife makes a great cup of tea, that I am physically able to work, we have a warm place to sleep and eat, the internet, and healthy parents.
Mine: snow, being able to volunteer with a great organization, an extended family that I see often, a husband who loves to cook and does it well, a job that I don’t dread coming back to after the weekend, movie date nights.
Elyse recently posted…Brooklyn: Book Versus Movie
chelsea
January 20, 2016 at 8:59 am
two-sided love is thing i shall never take for granted (which may have been brought on by too many rom-coms).
absolutely LOVE that you shared both of your gratefuls, elyse 🙂 you both have such good lists!
Audrey
January 18, 2016 at 11:12 am
My husband and I just met for lunch at a nearby restaurant and had horrible service… which put us in really bad moods… But we’re so lucky that we live in a town with lunch options. And we’re fortunate to have the means to go out to lunch. And we are SO lucky to have one another to dine with.
We don’t usually get fussy about restaurant service but today has been stressful, especially for Kyle. But for all the bad (work-related) news he’s gotten today, I’m very thankful that he has a business that he loves. Thanks for the reminder, Chelsea 🙂
Audrey recently posted…Loud Drums, Growing Babies, & Grateful Hearts
chelsea
January 20, 2016 at 9:00 am
way to pull out the positives your less-than-desireable-dining-experience audrey! thanks for sharing them. love that you got to have lunch together 🙂
Vivien
January 18, 2016 at 1:39 pm
Right on with the love fully given and received! I was part of a blog group where we would post 5 things we were grateful for that day, no matter how big or small. It was so uplifting to read everyone else’s posts and write my own thinking “wow, I got a lot going right for me.”
One area I think is going superbly right is going to work and being busy at work!
Vivien recently posted…Why I Almost Vowed to Never Enter a Tall Tales Contest
chelsea
January 20, 2016 at 9:01 am
that’s so great that you are part of a blog group that does that type of post – vivien! so glad you are enjoying work and it’s going well! tax season is upon us…as evidence by the hours i will spend on my own taxes today 🙂
Rachel G
January 19, 2016 at 12:18 am
We can never take for granted being able to buy whatever we want in a grocery store. Generally, we can’t, because all that American imported food is outside our budget, haha! So we avoid those aisles and stick to local stuff and produce. I’m so grateful for my joy-filled little life and family–it’s never something I take for granted!
Rachel G recently posted…Suspenders: Who Wore it Better? (2013 vs. 2016)
chelsea
January 20, 2016 at 9:03 am
oh i bet it’s a whole different ball game when shopping internationally, rachel! love that you have a joy-filed life and family, what great things to always be grateful for!
Velma
January 19, 2016 at 2:02 am
What a great thing to do! It reminded me of one of our last days in Houston before moving to Albuquerque. We had gone out to dinner and as we drove home we took “the scenic” route home and pointed out the things we would miss from our neighborhood. But when we got home we talked about the adventure of starting a new life. Last week as we went snowshoeing on the mountain literally outside our front door, we looked down at our town and just smiled and hugged! No words needed!
chelsea
January 20, 2016 at 9:06 am
thanks so much for sharing this, velma! sounds like we are currently in a similar situation with pointing out all the things we love and will miss but yes you are right – new adventures await! snowshoeing on the mountain outside your front door?! incredible 🙂
Kate
January 19, 2016 at 6:45 am
Sounds like a very sophisticated evening 🙂 And you definitely have so much to be grateful for! We are expecting a blizzard this weekend, so I’m grateful that at yesterday’s appointment, baby girl wasn’t showing any signs of arriving anytime soon. She can hang out a few more weeks!
Kate recently posted…Fashionably Late: Winter Coats
chelsea
January 20, 2016 at 8:57 am
oh i am so glad your baby girl is staying put so you don’t have to worry about a blizzard! how scary but good work in there little lady 🙂 i hope you are feeling good!