5 Things I'm Thankful For Today & Always
I’m at the airport bright and early this morning, sipping a hot cappuccino and watching the sun shine over the colorful trees along the tarmac. The airport is full of hustle and bustle — thousands of people, including myself, taking advantage of the extended holiday weekend.
Right now, I'm people watching. Writing, watching, and listening to all the buzz happening around me. I don't know any of these people, and I'll probably never cross paths with them again, but I'm still watching and listening. Maybe I'm bored, maybe I'm nosy…
Here's what I know: The lady next to me is playing Solitaire while her husband reads his emails, the lady behind me is talking on her iPhone, and the teenager across from me is griping because she lost her bottle of PINK perfume to TSA. She left to go get Starbucks, but came back and started talking about her perfume again.
The lady on the phone behind me is telling a story about her friend who got drunk last night and had to be carried to her bed. Then I heard her say that same friend’s husband recently passed away and she’s probably drinking so much because she’s lonely. She said, “I love her to death. I just hate seeing her like this. I hate seeing her so lonely.” Now I’m both sad and glad for her friend. Sad because I couldn’t imagine the pain of losing a loved one. Glad because she has friends who care about her during these hard times.
As I sit here writing, watching, and listening, I realize I have so many things to be thankful for, which makes me smile. In this season full of expressing gratitude and giving thanks, I thought I'd share a few items on my 2019 gratitude list.
~I’m thankful to have finally started my blog! I wanted to start for a long time, but I didn’t feel inspired enough. I wasn’t ready before, but I cracked the code in May and published my first post. It’s been such a fun first year of dreaming up content to write about and taking photos to capture and remember the best little moments. I’ve hit publish on a number of blog posts this year, which makes me super happy. Turning dreams into published content and connecting with other new bloggers — I have loved every minute of it.
~I’m thankful for the Brandl fam! We don’t get to see each other a lot, but we make the most of it when we do. My parents flew to North Carolina at the end of May for a trip to the Outer Banks. Then I flew to Wisconsin in July to meet my family for a little weekend retreat to Door County. It was the first time that all three of us sisters were together in several years. From little kids to grown adults, I love these two!
~I’m thankful for my little family! Alex, Klein, and Mogul — the boys that make my house feel like a home. I could do without the 6:30AM wake up call every day of the week because the animals want food, but their unconditional love makes me smile every single day. I feel so loved within my four walls and everywhere I go, and I owe it all to my boys.
~I’m thankful for coffee! Coffee is one of those things I never knew I needed until I woke up one day and realized how much I actually needed it. There are only a few things better than the smell of coffee brewing in the morning. And there aren’t many places more relaxing than a cozy coffee shop. The cooler temperatures and sweater weather have really fueled my desire for cappuccinos and lattes the last few months. I’m not complaining though, hot caffeinated beverages are life!
~I’m thankful for the sunshine that fuels my life! There’s something about sunshine — it inspires me. Even though the sun comes up like clockwork every day, I know I’m never promised tomorrow. Each day I wake up with the sun, I realize how lucky I am to live the life I do.
My cup is full. I have so many things to be thankful for — big and small. What are you thankful for this year?
I have good timing today. I finished writing this post just as my mom texted me that she landed here in NYC. Our first ever Mother-Daughter trip starts now!
Enjoy your day!
JB