I found an exercise/self-reflection on Instagram (@laurajaneillustrations) that I really liked: “7 ways to be more kind to your mind.” She breaks it down to one item per day for a full week. Looks like Sunday is Day 1, so I figure I’ll start there – and I thought I’d share, just in case you would like to do it as well.

“Write a list of everything and everyone that you are grateful for at the end of the week. Read back your list: be present with just how much you have in this moment of your life, however big or small, grand or simple – you have something to be grateful for.”

This was a good week for gratitude, as my list is long. I won’t share it all here, but here are a few highlights.

• Time spent with family
• My Mom’s birthday
• Time in the park with Finn
• A day off from work
• The joy of seeing my sons (and now my daughter-in-law also) living good lives
• Baking, learning new things and sharing those learnings with family and friends
• Beginning of fall colors peeking through
• Signing up for a race with my son and having something to look forward to

• Working lights, air conditioning, etc. (she writes as a storm blows into the area and prays the power isn’t knocked out again)
• My favorite podcast – and time to listen to it
• Daily prayers
• An answered prayer
• A really good run
• A reasonable work week
• Opportunities to laugh
• Making the week a little brighter for a struggling colleague
• Not only accepting my own idiosyncrasies, but loving them
• Kind neighbors
• Good health
• Car rides with the top down

Anyway, that’s all I’m going to list here, but she is correct — I have a lot to be grateful for in this moment.

Day 2 of “ways to be more kind to your mind” will follow tomorrow.