It has been three hundred sixty five days since I began writing the “Count Your Blessings” page on Olalla Creek.  It began with a New Year’s resolution to simply identify and write about – daily – at least a single thing that I felt grateful for.  I have been faithful to this the entire year.   The vast majority of days, I wrote this page from the comfort of my bed -tucked in and warm and relaxed.   There were a few days that I actually forgot to write the blog, only to wake up in the middle of the night with a feeling of self-betrayal.  On these days I would wake -up and write about the day prior.  For a week and a half in July, I wrote about gratitude in my travel journal as Paula and I journeyed in Iceland.  Recently, I had some boot-up issues with my laptop and for at least one night, I simply stated out loud what it was that i was thankful for.   In short, however, I believe that I have honoured the fact and  the spirit of my New Year’s resolution from last year.

I have called this BLOG a social experiment – one that in which I am the Guinea pig.  Most of my life I have focussed on bitterness and negativity, and a year ago I realized that for some time I had been clinging to this as part of my identity – maybe.   So, I simply asked myself what would happen if I shifted my focus to the simple question of gratitude.

In Guatemala, we had witnessed desperate children racing each other with sharp knives in their hands for the chance to sell us a coconut for a dollar – only to beg us afterward for the coconut meat so they could eat it.  We saw women our age compete to sell us bananas on remote mountain  switchbacks and saw the desperation in the one who did not get our business as she begged us to buy her bananas also.  ( I feel shame in that I did not recognize this as need, as opposed to commerce – at the time)  Or the kindergarten -aged boy standing blinking in the cloud of roadside dust, little more than a silhouette of a child and a pack on it’s back that doubled him in size.   Or the Oaxacan who said a prayer after I bought a woven mask from him.

Perspective is  a powerful teacher.

What problems did I really have?

I have so much to be thankful for.   I wrote about it every day.   Paula (my Sweetie) had said it would get harder when work resumed, and as always, she was right.    I found the act of gratitude to be most significant on those days when life seemed more challenging.

A matter of perspective.

I was asked if I had discovered religion.

I was asked If I was OK.

The BLOG was linked to social media.   I did this as a failsafe against my own copping out.  It also meant that I was making some of the most repetitive posts.

Oh well.

In the end, I realize that much of what is good in my life – much of what i feel thankful for – is consistent and repetitive.  Love for my wife.  Love for my children.  Love for my dog.  Love for my friends and family.   Love for beauty.  Love for mystery.  Love for creativity.  Love for passion.   Love for kindness.  Love for genius.  Love for subtlety.  Love for weirdness.  Love for flavour.  Love for excellence. and on it goes.

I have everything to be thankful for.

All of it.

The beauty.  The love.  The tears.  The anguish.  The doubt.  The loneliness.

And again, the love.

I am thankful for each and every one of you.  You have encouraged me, challenged me, kept me on track, and given me purpose.

Thanks!

In addition to the above, I am thankful

• for my daughters
• for my Sweetie
• for my Puppy
• for my friends
• for the very cold day
• for fire
• for whiskey
• for my family
• for prosperity
• for time
• for these things, and so much more, besides!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!