Thankful for a Wonderful Saturday Eve

Day 3,931

Today was definitely a list kind of day! Why settle for one thing or a theme when going wide seems so much more fitting?

  • Getting a nice little sleep in, even if it was only until 7:20 or so.
  • An almost immediate walk with Becky and Leia, time in motion, time to talk and connect.
  • Eating a solid breakfast, taking time to cook eggs.
  • Watching Gavin enjoy pole vaulting at RiverFest while talking with Dominic.
  • Doing a handful of adulting tasks, enjoying them rather than feeling obligated to do them.
  • Watching soccer with Dominic while eating lunch.
  • Mowing the lawn even when it’s hot and humid.
  • Having an early dinner with Becky.
  • Going grocery shopping on a Friday when it’s quiet, running into Dominic there, and enjoying the lack of any type of rush,
  • Reading a thought provoking book throughout the day.
  • Hanging out with Dominic and Caitlyn, chilling in the living room, shooting the bull.
  • Getting 10-15 minutes of concentrated Gavin energy as he transitions from work to heading off to meet up with friends.
  • Relaxing on the couch quietly with Becky, both reading.
  • Wrapping up my day with a review of how much I appreciated it and why.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Another Reminder of Impermanence and Family Time

Day 3,930

Growth:

Reminders that all in life is not permanent, especially the “stuff” we surround ourselves with and attempt to find comfort in, are all around us, we need only pause and pay attention. Today I was shown one of these reminders, the largest mansion I’d ever set foot in, owned by quite possibly one of the wealthiest people I have met, was being torn down just under a year after his death. We’d had an interesting conversation on the collection of stuff at one time we were there, the sight of it being demolished was quite impactful. His impact and legacy lives on in so many, his stuff is no longer.

What kept resonating in my head as I watched the news footage was the sign in George Bailey’s office in It’s a Wonderful Life:

All that you can take with you is that which you have given away.

Appreciation & Presence:

These two are joining forces today as they were very much interrelated! Dominic came home from the Cities for the holiday weekend and joined us for a little soccer watching, dinner, and some family games. Gavin stepped up big time and made us homemade chicken parm for supper for all of us and it was dee-lish! As I type he’s also knocking out the dishes, strong work!

Spending time with my family is my favorite thing in the world, to have that time together, to joke and talk and eat and play and exist together was priceless. So present with them throughout, so appreciative for the time we get together like this as a family!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for an Unlikely Quote on Attachment

Day 3,929

This quote really struck a chord with me this morning. Be warned, it’s sounds more than a little dark, but deeply insightful. For sure, it’s not nearly as certain as it sounds, more of how things can feel throughout life as we get older.

When I looked up at my father as a boy, I thought being a man was having control. Being the master and commander of your own destiny. How could any boy know that freedom is lost the moment you become a man. Things start to count. To press in. Constricting slowly, inevitably, creating a cage of inconveniences and duties and deadlines and failed plans and lost friends.

Pierce Brown, Morning Star

In so many ways this explains the feeling of attachment. The more we have, the more we are stressed to keep it. The more nervous we become about losing it. The less likely to stay present as we have now created the space for worry.

Very insightful, I’m very glad to be reading this series again to stumble upon this.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Quote Reminding Me of Stillness

Day 3,928

As I re-read Life Lived Wild by Rick Ridgeway there are certain lines that resonate deeply for unexpected reasons. One in particular is the following quote after they’ve been in the mountains for quite some time. The clarity Rick feels in that moment is priceless, the types of deep thoughts which only seem to surface once we strip away all the noise and stresses of our daily modern life.

I stood and paused and considered the satisfaction of a perfectly placed tent stake.

Rick Ridgeway, Life Lived Wild

This quote brings to mind my seemingly infinite moments of sitting in stillness and silence on a rock in the middle of a large stream in Porcupine Mountain State Park watching the dragonflies zip across my line of sight eating up mosquitoes, seeming to suck them right up into their jaws. Once of the deepest moments of peace and stillness I’ve ever experienced in my adult life.

Just closing my eyes and thinking back to that memory brings such joy, such stillness to my soul. My heart rates slows, my shoulders relax, my world becomes more clear.

I honestly could not say just how long I sat upon that rock and observed nature in silence, time was irrelevant to me as the water rushed by. The only time was Now, there was only Present.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Remembering the Give and Take, Remembering Appreciation, & a Moment of Calm

Day 3,927

Growth:

Many days this task is to help focus my brain on what’s been most meaningful throughout the day. The appreciation I have for certain actions, people, things, happenings, and whatnot. Remember that this can also go in the reverse, helping to frame the frustration and stress of the day into a reason to be thankful. This blog is not for the result in of itself, rather, it is a tool to help me work to close the gap between where I am and where I am meant to grow. Reflection, direction, action, motivation – a tool to be used as needed based on the day.

Appreciation:

Interesting day for a handful of reasons – starting off with a super tight and sore back to a stressful work day to a transition from a difficult conversation to a productive one. Once home it was a dinner with Becky, slow stretching to get my back moving, a call with my brother to joke and laugh, and then some quiet time to blog as I heat my back.

The overall “joy” score of my day was very meh to be sure (likely a -1) and I really struggled to find a reason to blog tonight. There were so many moments to be grateful for individually, but the overall feel of the day was a bummer all around. By leveraging this habit of blogging every single day of why I’m grateful I was able to get my brain turned back around to the positives and to remember to focus more energy there. For sure, the day was still a bummer, but one I can struggle through as I know there are always things I can learn from these types of days, so long as I remember to be grateful for them.

Today that meant being grateful for the acts of kindness, for the opportunity to help others, for the time with Becky and the meal she made, for the time with my brother as we laughed. For the time I spent texting family for various reasons as we all laughed. For this moment of quiet respite to gather my thoughts and choose the better attitude… I am grateful.

Presence:

Taking a quiet moment to myself to get all the junk out of my head. Pressing the pause button on the stress, opening my mind to see the bigger picture. Enjoying the view of the leaves dancing in the wind outside the window, watching the ground squirrel scampering through the park across the street. Allowing my mind to clear. Calm.

Thanks!!

Thankful for a Non-Ordered List

Day 3,926

A couple of quick hits today, no real format, time for some freestyle…

  • Perfect camping weather is amazing and greatly appreciated. After several years of extreme heat, rain, storms, and whatnot it was great to nail a perfect camping weather weekend.
  • Another weekend spent in the campervan.
  • Several years ago I realized I should be reading the same books as the boys. There’s been a large number of books we’ve all read or at least two of us have, and there has yet to be disappointment from any of us on those books. Regardless of who picks it up first we quite often will take each others book recommendations to heart. What I’m most appreciative of is the ability to have conversations about those stories afterwards, both the fiction and nonfiction.
  • Tweaking my back really sucks, but it reminds me to be grateful for the other 99.999% of the time when I have zero issues. Hoping it heals up quick, but using each moment of discomfort to remind me that I’m glad I stay in relatively good health and don’t have ongoing back issues.
  • A full weekend reset was exactly what the doctor ordered, completely with the crazy early bed time I’m about to have!

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Day Outdoors

Day 3,925

So much outdoors time today, it was wonderful! For well over 12 hours I was relaxing, walking, or chilling outside. Virtually every moment of the day was spent either outdoors or in our campervan, talk about s perfect day!

At one point I was reading in my hammock. I paused, took in the view of the bright green leaves contrasting with the bold blue sky with just enough foliage to block the direct sun while amplifying the sunlight. My mind went back to the comment made by Human in The Speaker for the Dead, “Come and sit in my shade, and see the sunlight through my leaves, and rest your back against my trunk.” So perfectly fitting and serene.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for a Full Day

Day 3,924

A morning run which feels quite rusty, but is completed and sets the tone and pace for the day.

A very focused day of work, clear objectives, all completed with efficiency.

An opportunity to share where I’m at with one trust, asking nothing but understanding, and receiving it.

Wrapping everything up completely, each a little ahead of schedule.

Walking through thoughts, emotions, and options, seeing potential solutions.

Spending the evening outdoors, surrounded by campfire smoke, laughing with family.

Quiet time in thought, reflecting on the day, pausing to breathe in silence.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for One of Those Days

Day 3,923

Today had its moments, not a banner day by any means, but still a solid one.

Sometimes we need days that hit us between the eyes to remind us to appreciate the days that go well.

Sometimes we need days like this to push us towards a next step.

Sometimes we need days full of discomfort to help toughen us up.

Sometimes we need days that bruise our ego to remind us of humility.

Sometimes we need days that leave us scratching our head and asking questions that needed to be asked.

Sometimes we need days that remind us that even if it is rough we still have the ability to choose the context we put to them.

Today was one of those days.

Thanks!!!

Thankful for Our Tides, Gavin’s Road Trip, & a Walk

Day 3,922

Growth:

This line from the book series I’m currently reading resonated with me today. With so many happenings in my work life over the past couple of weeks this struck a serious chord.


We all have our own tides inside.  They go in, out.  Not really ours to control.  The things, people that orbit us do that.  At least more than we’d like to admit.

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

Appreciation:

Gavin is on a roadtrip with friends today, the optimal way to spend a random summer Wednesday after graduating! As I think about him and the fun he is likely having I can’t help but think back to the crazy roadtrips my buddies and I used to make in that stage of our lives. Random trips to the Twin Cities to watch movies at the Mall of America. Driving to Madison to meet up with my buddy’s older brother to then drive to Milwaukee to Summerfest to watch Aerosmith. Disappearing to Stevens Point to watch a different concert. Constantly doing something, running off to have fun, living life the way it is meant to be lived at that age. Exploring the freedom of the road, having the time of our lives, having fun with friends.

Presence:

This afternoon I took a nice long walk over lunch. The fresh air got me re-energized, moving, and feeling more productive in the afternoon. Taking the time to step away, move, breathe, and enjoy the outside was exactly what the doctor ordered. I used to do this all the time, but then I somehow decided it was better to work through lunch. Today reminded me of just how important this mini-ritual is!

Thanks!!!