When I left teaching, my dear friend and colleague with whom I shared the basement at school for 29 years gave me the journal shown above. She gave it to me because she knows I love to write and paint, and she’s the art teacher, so the aesthetics of the cover of the journal really appealed to her, too. For a while, I stashed it with the rest of my collection of writing journals to await the day in which I would use it to write something profound — ha ha — but one day, I read the words on the front of it and decided I would use it to record things for which I’m grateful each day.
Expressing gratitude is good for one’s soul, but it can be very hard at times when we’re surrounded by negativity blasting from every news’ source and social media site. The calamity gets to be too much, and it can be hard to find anything for which we’re grateful. That’s why I like to pause and put pen to paper and jot down a daily list.
Today, in honor of my 50th “Tomes and Topics” post, I’m going to record Fifty Things for Which I’m Grateful.
family — I could cheat and assign each of the people a number and then probably get to 50 pretty quickly, but I’m not going to do that. Included in my family are my two amazing kids, my parents, my brother and his family, my boyfriend Kim and his family, Silvia and her family in Mexico, my son’s girlfriend, various cousins, an aunt, my deceased grandparents as well as two aunts and uncles, and others.
friends — Silvia would go here, too, but she’s become family over the years. Again, I could cheat and list them separately, but I’m not going to do that. Friends applies to all those I have now and to all those who have been my friends along the way.
my pets — I’m grateful for all the dogs and the one cat of my past as well as the two dogs and one cat who live in my house now and bring joy to life every day.
my readers — I’m incredibly grateful for anyone reading this now, for anyone who has ever read my column, and for every person who has read and continues to read my books.
my house — In a world where far too many people don’t have a home at all, I’m very thankful for the house that keeps me warm and dry in the winter and cool and dry in the summer.
books — Literacy is the key to everything. I can’t imagine a world without books. I’m especially grateful for all the books I own and that I can read whenever I want. I’m also very grateful for the five I’ve written so far.
trees — Not only do they provide the oxygen we all need to survive, but they are beautiful, and they give us much needed shade as well as provide homes for small animals.
my motorcycle — I’m grateful to my dad for teaching me to ride when I was a teenager. I’m also grateful to Harley-Davidson for making such beautiful bikes.
freedom — I’m grateful to live in a place where I am free to do what I want to do (most of the time).
my passport — I’m grateful that I can travel outside of the U.S. and see other amazing places in the world.
swimming pools — I am especially grateful for pools that are large enough to swim laps in them.
nail polish — Without it, I probably never would have broken the bad habit of chewing my nails. I still occasionally gnaw on them, but I don’t make a mangled, bloody mess of them anymore because I keep my nails polished.
bridges — I am very grateful for bridges. Imagine trying to get anywhere without them. I lose count of how many small ones I drive over every time I go somewhere. Personally, I think that bridges are one of the most important inventions ever created. I’m captivated by the large ones like the Golden Gate Bridge (and I loved walking across it), but I’m eternally grateful for all of them.
pens — Are you surprised? I love to write, as you know, and I especially love to write by hand. Not much beats the feel of a good pen as it glides across a sheet of paper.
writing journals — Again, no surprise there, right? I especially like larger, hardbound ones, so they can hold most, if not all, of a first draft of a book.
sunsets — While I also love a good sunrise, I’m not much of a morning person, and I’ve always felt that sunsets are prettier. I most enjoy them when viewed seaside.
other people’s cooking — I don’t like to cook. Never have. Never will. I’m very grateful that Kim loves to cook and especially that he loves to try new dishes. I was blessed to have a mom who is a great cook, and I still get to eat her food from time to time.
the color blue — I love blue in all its hues. The colors of the sea, though, are my favorites.
stand-up comedy — We need as much of it as we can get these days.
quiet — After years of being surrounded by noisy kids at school and bells ringing about 20 times every day, working at home in utter quiet is absolute bliss.
watercolor paints — Painting adds tranquility to my life, and my creations add color and beauty to my walls. I like to look up from my writing and see them.
libraries — I’m grateful that our country has them and makes reading accessible and free to anyone who enters a library. They offer so much beyond books now, too, that anyone who hasn’t set foot in a library for years (or ever), really should.
black jellybeans and Hot Tamales — These are the best two candies in the world, in my opinion, and I’m always grateful when Easter time rolls around and the black jellybeans appear on the grocery shelf again. Kim loves them, too, so we stock up!
my treadmill — I’m especially grateful for it this winter because there has been too much snow and ice and it’s been too cold out to do much walking outside, which I prefer.
self-publishing — Even though I never wanted to go that route, I’m grateful it exists and that it has become easier to do over the past few years.
the Norfolk Daily News — They took a chance on me 14 years ago and allowed me to write my column which is still going strong and now it 4 newspapers.
melatonin — I’m grateful for it when insomnia rears its evil head and won’t let me sleep at all.
mangos — They are the yummiest of fruits and the best flavor of drink!
whale sharks — Aside from dogs, I love whale sharks the most of all other animals, and they are my favorite sea animal. I’m grateful for the two opportunities I had to swim with them, so far. I hope there will be others.
puzzles — I’m most grateful for word puzzles, but I love jigsaw ones, too.
porch swings — Nothing beats sitting on one and watching the world go by or reading a good book.
beaches — I’m most grateful for ones that are non-crowded and stretch on forever.
electricity — This should be listed higher on the list. I’m extremely grateful for electricity to power so many things.
dental floss — My teeth would be way worse than they are without it.
the internet and Wi-Fi — Even though technology and I are not friends, being able to communicate instantaneously with friends overseas and being able to write something like this and have it read by anyone anywhere is pretty wonderful.
the mail system — I’m grateful that I can send a letter or a book to anyone anywhere, and I’m very grateful when something other than a bill or junk mail appears in my mailbox.
photographs — I’m grateful for all the photos that help hold special memories.
planners — I’m grateful for those portable calendars that help me plan my days, weeks, months, and even years.
ice cubes — I prefer cold beverages and the colder, the better.
yellow roses — They are my favorite flowers.
modern appliances — I’m very grateful that I don’t have to wander down to a river somewhere to beat my clothes clean on rock!
used bookstores — I’m grateful that older books are being kept in circulation.
maps — I’m grateful for their help at navigating my way through a state and around a new city.
Italy — I’m grateful that such a beautiful country exists and that it gave the world amazing cuisine, art, architecture, literature, etc.
hiking trails — I’m grateful that I can safely walk amidst the wonders of nature and know that I can find my way back out.
pillows — I’ve tried sleeping without one, and it doesn’t work. Plus, no pillows, no pillow fights. Where’s the fun in that?
bookcases — Without them, I would have stacks of books piled up all over my house.
baseball caps — They are the perfect dog walking accessory to help keep the sun out of my eyes and my hair from blowing around in the wind. They also help prevent eye strain while attending indoor sporting events in gymnasiums with bright fluorescent lighting.
yoga — Daily morning stretching has done wonders for my lower back, and I have a lot of flexibility for a chubby, middle-aged woman.
piñatas — What’s better than being able to beat the crap out of something and being rewarded for doing so? Also, they are pretty and to be found at parties, and who doesn’t love a good party?
Thanks for reading my list. I’m grateful for many other things, too, but now, I’ll share a few things for which I’m NOT grateful in the least.
my ex — Although I am EXTREMELY grateful that he’s an ex.
most politicians
war
my crabby neighbors
cold weather
cancer
suicide
self-checkout machines
scammers
flies and many other insects and snakes — they can all go back to the hell from which they came
Until next time. If you care to become a paid subscriber, please do so. Next week, I will share more of an in-progress novel with paying subscribers.
Tammy Marshall