Gratitudes for Today

I'm realizing more and more each day that I have less and less to say. This is ironic because my life is actually fuller than it's been in a while. Maybe I will go back to blog topics as I had when I created this space... have a topic of the day or the week and go from there. Today, I just needed to make a gratitude list. I am feeling a bit sad that I am not with my ladybug family for Girlstock in Atlanta. It's a conference started by my grand and I really wanted to be there for the first one. However, Atlanta is no longer just a skip away. It's a full 2,477 miles away. And I have work. A lot of work. Neverending evaluation plans to tweak, site visits that require my preparation, a woman's wellness conference tomorrow (not required by work, but something I am treating myself to), and then a commitment to myself on Sunday... I am opening my home for the first Southern Sunday... This will be a monthly event held on the rooftop of my apartment complex (Thanks mama for starting this for us!) So yes, I could have gone to Atlanta, but I would be behind in work, miss the wellness conference, postpone Southern Sunday, etc. Besides, I have to go to that coast in about 10 days for a conference in DC anyway. When I accept the fact that I can't just zoom back and forth between coasts, I will be a lot happier. Until then, I will continually feel like I am missing pieces of me. I chose to live here. Rather, it chose me, but I accepted this reality. I love this reality. I am grateful. But I also miss my people... So... maybe I need to focus my energies on my people here. I started that recently by asking a friend/coworker/amazing person to go on morning walks with me. We are now doing that 2-3 times a week, hella early, around our 3.2 mile Lake (Did I mention I live a few blocks away from the most amazing Lake?! For my Tallahassee peeps, it's Lake Ella on some massive steroids)... So that is one way I am opening myself to friends here. I also am still very involved in my gym, going 4 times a week lately.... having Southern Sunday... involved in Landmark weekly which has created more relationships and friendships... I am dating as well.... so I have people here. It's just a matter of being grateful and appreciative... So here goes the gratitudes
Walking buddy to start my days...
Stimulating conversations...
Beautiful connections with friends on BOTH coasts, from Pacific NW, to the Deep South...
Soul food...
Evaluation, Research, Data...
Suicide prevention and outreach...
The youth I work with that continually amaze me...
Opportunities to heal and grow...
Cultural events...
Self love and care...
Pretending dates are social experiments :)...
Sports and athleticism...
The most beautiful place in the United States (here of course)...
Mountains, Ocean, Lakes, Trails, Hikes, Flowers, Rocks...
Friendship with self and others...
Family...
Communicating with Bear on a regular basis...
Reconnecting with my bestie (love you, TT)...
Helping others...
Beading...
Mondays at Grandma Gayles...
Fridays at work...
Integration...
And with that, I am out (Reached the bottom of the page, so I have to stop myself and get back to work.)
Love to all, light to all
DBear