Thank you for a fiber rich diet. Thank you for easy-going poops. 

Thank you for the thought that arguments are really just ways to clear up misunderstandings and to learn.

Thank you for the latest attempt to dress as a sort of grown woman and still be somewhat responsible. Thank you for the phrase “sartorially challenged.”

Thank you for Anita offering me a tall stack of her secondhand duds when we were at the office—I think she felt bad that I rotated the same set of (mostly workout) pants and tees every week. But it was comfy and hassle-free, plus no one seemed to mind. Anyway, she’s always thinking of others’ wellbeing.

Thank you for the orchid hypothesis. It shed light on my dismal performance in some situations and better outcomes in others. It helps me to understand loved ones, too. A friend suggested that to think of oneself as an orchid is to see oneself as superior (to other flower-types I guess). That’s assuming the view of an orchid as a superior flower. The orchid is different from, say, the dandelion. It’s not better or worse. 

Thank you for the diversity of flowers.

Thank you for awareness that if it’s hard to face what’s happening in my life, it may be that I’m struggling to face something(s) about myself. Maybe sometimes that’s because there are intermediaries between the external circumstances of my life, on one hand, and me, on the other. Those go-betweens are my perceptions, thoughts, feelings… So if I’m troubled about what’s going on in my life, I may actually in some sense be troubled by my own perceptions, thoughts, and feelings. So it may be helpful to explore that trouble with awareness. The discomfort may be asking for change of a real life thing or of perceptions-thoughts-feelings.

Thank you for what I practice I become better at doing. So if I practice exploring challenges then I become better at doing so.

Thank you for our little daily habits building our lives.

Thank you for more interesting dreams lately or at least better memory of them. It’s likely because of activities done and not done before bed. For instance, at bedtime I’ve been asking questions.

Thank you for unconditional love.

Thank you for when our care for people motivates us to try and be more loving.

Thank you for feeling fortunate during a ride and a jog recently. Fortunate to be outside and active. One day that sort of pleasure won’t be available to me.

Thank you for the thought that none of us can ever be an inferior human being because no one compares to anyone else. Each of us is unique. On top of that we can never know or measure all of our differences. Does this analogy work? Maybe each of us is like a long complicated unsolvable equation full of unknown variables. I don’t know, hopefully you get the idea anyway.

Thank you for the magic of extra time and space in ABQ. 

Thank you for gifts that time allows. 

Thank you for an elevated quality of care received when there’s no rush and we have space to listen and talk.

Thank you for Dr. Tran and Dr. Lovato looking after my teeth.

Thank you for less than three months until March.

Thank you for Randy helping us with repairs on the old house. Thank you for his trying over and over again to get through the roadblocks to see if homes of his friends and clients were ok after the fire. When he finally did pass through, he sent us videos to let us know what had happened. He didn’t have to do that. We didn’t ask. It took time and work to keep trying every day repeatedly, just to give closure one way or another. It’s the kind of favor that you wouldn’t forget if someone did it for you.

Thank you for John (hopefully) helping me to level a spot at the top of the driveway. Thank you for the support of everyone with Lutheran Social Services, and for them connecting me with John, who seems like a trustworthy and kind contractor.

Thank you for progress on environmental health application (for temporary residence permit). Hopefully I can submit it next week and then submit the application for a temporary residence as soon as Environmental Health has signed off. The next step after that is to reserve an air bnb and look into having the car towed back (not enough charging stations on the way) and reserving a van and storage. It’s overwhelming to do it all at once, so I take it a little at a time.

Thank you for Sister’s help with the applications.

Thank you for thank yous as a way to communicate more than thank yous.

Thank you for Alicia at Vitalant. She was exceptionally calm, reassuring, and attentive. 

Thank you for efforts to shift my perspective from what the world gives me to what I offer it.

Thank you for the painful lessons and strained (sometimes ended) relationships that have biased me towards sobriety even though the lure of intoxication is still strong. I can’t say that I’m always sober or would want to be. I feel fortunate that most of the time I want to be. 

Thank you for funny accents.

Thank you for alone time.

Thank you for the satisfaction of eye contact with non-human animals.

Thank you for repeat thank yous.

Thank you for differences across people, for the texture that makes us interesting.

Thank you for lefties and righties.

Thank you for a little bit of stretching on a consistent basis. It makes moving, standing, and sitting more comfortable.

Thank you for acceptance of slow progress.

Thank you for conditions for happiness everywhere.

Thank you for birthdays.

Thank you for special treats to show love. For me food is extra fun to give. 

Thank you for life felt from inside.

Thank you for questions. Thank you for questions we ask ourselves.

Thank you for an old wish: to play matchmaker successfully by setting up two single friends. It hasn’t exactly happened yet. 

Thank you for when we see through our biases to the individuality, strength, and beauty of strangers.

Thank you for Republicans and Democrats with integrity.

Thank you for compassion for those with whom we disagree.

Thank you for brevity.

Thank you for sighs of relief.

Thank you for warm coats. 

Thank you for porch lights.

Thank you for extraordinary, one-of-a-kind beings. Hopefully they realize how precious their lives are.

Thank you for surreal love stories. 

Thank you for benefits that flow from a situation as devastating as the pandemic.

Thank you for two consecutive days of outside interactions (blood center and dentist) recently—calm, kind people. Warmth and positivity.

Thank you for chewy cookies.

Thank you for an uplifting chat with Stacey.  

Thank you for laughs being a regular part of life.

Thank you for hopeful environments.

Thank you for friends.

Thank you for shelters.

Thank you for self care.

Thank you for other care.

Thank you for cell phones, sometimes.

Thank you for gentle boundaries.

Thank you for lessons learned the hard way and the not-so-hard way.

Thank you for vitamins (D3, B12, C…).

Thank you for text messages except not a bunch at once because that’s overwhelming.

Thank you for hidden messages.

Thank you for software and hardware as tools.

Thank you for researchers who seek and find more responsible tools for society.

Thank you for our capacity to improve wellbeing.

Thank you for silence.

Thank you for butterflies.

Thank you for mountain lions (from a distance).

Thank you for Christmas cards.

Thank you for extra smooth breathing lately, for whatever reason.

Thank you for my plants staying alive almost two years (with the exception of Gigi, RIP). This record I never dreamed was achievable. Really, they did it. Or nature did. But it feels like I’m not as incapable as previously convinced.

Thank you for teamwork. 

Thank you for when giving prompts more giving.

Thank you for the holiday spirit. Especially here in ABQ where the pace is less rushed, interactions lately have been pleasant.

Thank you for ginger beard men. 

Thank you for appliances with pleasant chimes.

Thank you for productive mornings. 

Thank you for fears faced.

Thank you for the realization of my codependent tendencies (or something like that). it’s hard to express hurts and needs. Instead, I pretend that I only see the positive in situations that also have challenges. Thank you for hope to communicate respectfully.

Thank you for the feelings of places and the memories of the feelings.

Thank you for Peaches having time to enjoy more freedom on walks nowadays.

Thank you for over day two of a fast and feeling relatively well. The purpose is to gain clarity on confusions and seek help. At the moment it seems difficult to think. And I don’t agree that fasting must be done in secret. Talking about it may raise interest in that sort of thing.  

Thank you for how delicious all sorts of foods sound right about now. Hot wings from Veggie Grill top the list. I can’t help it. Thank you for a clean feeling inside. Thank you for good struggles. Thank you for peace.

Thank you for Sprouts nearby with multiple juice options.

Thank you for Follow Your Heart crispy tempeh tacos. Thank you for the friendly offbeat peeps working there, keeping the homey vibe.

Thank you for salty teeth (as opposed to sweet teeth).

Thank you for attempts to think and communicate with love. Feeling sad, guilty, and apologetically failed. Hoping to improve with practice. Feedback helps, too.

Thank you for yesterday morning’s body scan meditation.

Thank you for the work we put into relationships, improving us as individuals.

Thank you for relationships. Even though they take time and trials, they have ups and downs, they’ll never be perfect—sometimes they’re worth it.