Double Nickels = Ten Gratitudes

Today I am grateful for the list below. 

I just turned 55, double nickels. Two nickels equals a dime, and a dime is a nice find. It’s also a good reminder to consider ten things I am grateful for:

1. The conversation I had with my Aunt Norma Jean last week. She is my dad’s only surviving sibling and we share careers in school counseling. She is in her mid-80’s. We agreed that it is better to be surprised by our own age than to feel burdened by it.

2. The freedom of Bluetooth head phones. No cords. Liberating...and easier to dance a little if so inclined.

I still don’t understand how they work, but I don’t need to. 

3. The concentrated time Darcy and I had with our grandson Aaron and his parents Arthur and Alyssa over the weekend. We haven’t had that kind of time with them since late 2019, thanks to these complicated times we find ourselves in. We appreciate the time we get with our grandson Leo and his mom Emily as well. 

4. Our front and back patios and the time Darcy puts in to keep them welcoming and comfortable. I try to spend time enjoying each regularly. I appreciate the different views I get from each vantage point.

5. Favorite songs that never fail to move me as I listen. A couple of recent listens are Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence” and James Taylor’s “Shower the People.”  And let’s add “Reflections of My Life” by Marmalade. 

6. My five senses, that they all work, and how they help me fully experience a moment when I tune in.

7. My husband Darcy. My spouse of nearly 22 years is someone who I continue to more fully understand and connect with in new ways. These will serve us well as soon-to-be empty nesters. 

8. Our son Sam and the ways he shows us, reassuringly, that he is ready for the next steps in his life. and that he speaks to the flexibility that may be required under the pandemic circumstances that continue to play out. 

9. A pleasant birthday, enjoyed an hour at a time, time with family, and greetings from a variety of people across a variety of formats. It reminds me of the places I have been and the people I have known over these decades.

10. Some birthday writing, including a poem with the last line “I am 55 now. Grateful to be here.”  

And that’s a wrap!