Oh, hey! Just sending this post from my seat on the struggle bus. I’m gonna get off the bus eventually, but right now, I’m buckled in. 😉
A song lyric (I think?) came to mind…something about “the storm before the calm”, and I felt like that describes the week/month I’m having.
But sunnier days are ahead! And one can make thankful lists from the struggle bus. In fact, that’s a very good place to do such a thing.
This week, I am thankful:
for a good exam grade
I still have A’s, so I am not complaining at all, but it is interesting to see how my exam grades have been very very slowly falling over the semester. They go:
- 60/60
- 58/60
- 57/60
- 56/60
And I think it will be kind of funny if my final lands at 55/60.
that I got my shoes fixed promptly
I’m probably gonna need to wear them a few times this coming week, so I feel glad I opted to get them fixed. That was way faster than buying a new pair of shoes, and right now, time is of the essence!
for the ability to look ahead with hope
I remember putting this exact thing on a thankful list during the early-ish days of the pandemic; hope for the future is so helpful when your current spot is tough.
for good things in the midst of the hard
You know how I wrote a post titled, “Nothing is all good. And nothing is all bad.“?
Well, I was thinking about that this week…yes, I’m on the struggle bus, but there also are things like:
- belly laughs with my classmates
- a “thank you” hug from my assisted living patient
- a fuzzy cat face greeting me in the morning
- the piney smell of a fresh Christmas tree in my living room
for a hot shower
You may remember that last winter, we were having hot water issues, and then my landlord installed a new water heater.
Well, as I was taking a shower yesterday, I was thinking how glad I am to have consistent hot water now! A cool shower is wonderful in July, but in December, I want some steamy water. 🙂
for my little roomie
When Zoe was born, I would never have imagined that she and I would one day be living a Gilmore Girls-ish life together, but here we are. And I’m glad to have her here with me. 🙂
for some unexpected upsides of a queen bed with only me in it
I washed three loads of laundry the other day. Yay me!
And I folded zero loads of laundry. Whoops.
Sooo, there was a big pile of clothes in my way when I wanted to go to bed.
But since the other half of my bed is empty, I just shoved all the clean laundry over to the side and hopped into bed. Problem solved! 😉
(I’d planned on getting a single bed when I moved here, but someone gave me a queen bed frame and then someone else gave me a queen mattress, and so that was that.)
The big bed is also handy if you have an occurrence of night sweats (as those of us approaching menopause sometimes do!)….you can just scoot over to the fresh, dry side of the bed for the rest of the night.
Of course, this only works if you don’t also have a mountain of laundry over there.
Hannah
Thursday 28th of December 2023
Hey there! Your Thankful Thursday post is such a delightful read, Kristen! I love how you find gratitude in the midst of the struggle bus journey. Your ability to appreciate the little things, like belly laughs with classmates and the piney scent of a Christmas tree, is truly inspiring. Also, I can totally relate to the joy of consistent hot water—EMUCoupon once saved me a great deal on a water heater!
Quick question: How do you manage to keep that positive outlook during challenging times, and do you have any other quirky bed-related solutions for common life hiccups?
StephanieLD
Thursday 7th of December 2023
I'm with you on the Good things in the midst of Hard. It's been a year of Mondays in this particular home, but when I really sit down and think about it, I have more to be thankful for than I have to not. Sometimes the hard things are just bigger and more noticeable than the good stuff.
So in the midst of the hard this week, I've found gratitude for: 1) My handyman, who spent all day yesterday doing repairs and improvements in the house for us. It's surprising how little things such as a broken light fixture, or missing door knob, or broken window blinds can wear on your psyche. 2) For the quilter selling her personal fabric stash at such bargain prices. I haven't bought anything that wasn't juvenile mask fabric since I retired 7 years ago. 3) That my Medicare Advantage plan approved the gel/lubricant injections for my knee, so hopefully I can put off my knee replacement for a while. 4) (Again) the coffee pot given me by a gifting group member. It's been over 2 months now, and I still love getting up in the morning and enjoying the taste of coffee again. 5) Small town businesses, where the cashier and I can laugh about exchanging a box of screws and another employee takes me into the back room of the hardware store to show me her newly finished quilt--and we don't even know each other's name. 6) The manufacturer of my husband's cancer drug. who is going to provide it free for a second year. His PSA count is normal again today, while this time last year it was rising ominously. 7) That precious little face opposite that furiously wagging stub of a tail. She had one health issue after another for 6 months, and will need another surgery, but for now she's perky and happy and loving life again.
Blue Gate Farmgirl
Thursday 7th of December 2023
Kristen, you may have a hit song! I listen to a few genres and struggle is a recurring theme. Wearing dress shoes on the struggle bus. I'll give my artistic niece the job of writing a tune when she arrives home next week from Art College. Maybe to the tune of "bad to the bone" I'm thankful for a good day of shopping and taking my elderly aunt to her doctor's appt. *For living on a hill as we are in an "atmospheric river" weather forecast. *For the neighbor who has contracted covid and is doing okay. *For fun hobbies to while away the dark days of December. Only 7 more sleeps before the college kids all fly home and the fun begins!
Caitlie
Thursday 7th of December 2023
Sending you love and strength Kristen!
Lindsey
Thursday 7th of December 2023
I am so very sorry to hear you are on the struggle bus right now. I hope all the support from your readers helps hold you up a bit.