First, I need to confess that this post is probably much more for me than it is for you. I’ve got a lot of tough stuff going on in my life right now and this week, in particular, is a stressful, anxiety producing week. I’m trying to think up some ideas to help keep my mind positive and peaceful during this time period and in the spirit of our former writer Kate Street, I decided that each day this week I’m going to write a post about what I’m thankful for. If you’re having a hard time, or even if you just want to practice a little daily gratitude, I’d love for you to tell me in the comments section something you’re grateful for too.

Monday Gratitude:

• The view from the back of my condo is just so beautiful and calming. I love the woods and feel so peaceful when I’m around lots of trees so the fact that I’m sitting here, writing this blog post, while looking out into my green backyard is just wonderful.
• Later today I get to spend some time with my brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew. I haven’t seen them all together in a very, VERY long time because they live in Kentucky. My daughter has never even met her cousin Grant and she hasn’t seen her cousin Haley since she was just a few months old. I can’t wait to see them, hug them and just be around their energy!
• Sometimes friends of mine send me random text messages to let me know they’re thinking about me. I can’t even explain how much that means to me.
• This morning I went grocery shopping at 6:30 AM (I’m a total morning person) and I was literally the only shopper in the store. It was glorious to just walk around the produce department slowly and one of the employees commented about how nice my smile is. Then when I got to the checkout line there was no one in front of me so it was a super easy trip that was quite enjoyable.
• I spend a lot of time thinking about how grateful I am for this website and this space to talk about my life, my challenges and my triumphs. This September will be the site’s 5-year anniversary and I honestly don’t know where I would be without the support of our writers and readers. I’ve experienced a lot in the past 5 years (divorce, selling a house, moving to a new town, job stress) and this beautiful community has held me up and kept me going through some really hard stuff. Thank you. Seriously.
• Time for some special shout outs:
  • Kriste: Thank you for encouraging me to practice self-care. I am horrible at it and appreciate that you’re here to remind me that it’s important.
  • Daniel: Thanks for all the calming back rubs.
  • Marcy: Thanks for inspiring me to get back into running. You are amazing.
  • Mom: Thank you for everything you do for me, especially our recent Costco trip.
  • Katie, Mary Grace, Carly, Stephanie and Marie: Thank you for being part of CT Working Moms all these years. I am so grateful for your friendship and love that you’re in my life.