Thank You.

One trick that’s been helping my family these days is we’ve all been pouring on the thank you’s to each other.  Like I make a point of thanking Mike and Ax for doing things they’re gonna do or supposed to do anyway.  

Thank you for ordering groceries for us. Thank you for helping with the dishes.  Thank you for clearing your plate.  Thank you for getting your bedtime book. 

Sometimes I add in a compliment: “Thank You for clearing your plates I love how helpful you are.”

“Thank you for helping me fold the laundry it’s more fun for me when we do it together.”

“Thank you for running the dishwasher it’s so nice to have clean plates.”

“Thank you for remembering to take your shoes off when you come in from outside I love feeling like our house is safe from outside germs.”

Anyway, I realized I’ve been doing a decent job of thanking them but I never thank myself for the little basic things that are the bedrock of my ability to keep going: proper sleep, eating, exercise, routine.  “Thank you Sascha for getting yourself breakfast it’s so nice when you take care of yourself.”

“Thank you Sascha for getting to bed on time it’s wonderful to feel well-rested.”

“Thank you Sascha for stretching and moving today.”

And the other little things that make a life:

“Thank you Sascha for folding the towels and putting them on the shelf just so, it feels good to have some order somewhere.”

“Thank you Sascha for organizing zoom camp for Ax, you’re a really good mom.”

“Thank you Sascha for taking care of that admin.  You did a great job getting through it.”

I make a point of talking this way to the people I love because I’m committed to their well-being and letting them know how much I appreciate them.  

And yet, when I hear the voice in my head talking to myself it is nowhere near that nice.  In fact, there’s a decent amount of critique and not-good-enough-itis which masquerades as more-ism and also general malaise, dissatisfaction, agitation, and yearning for people (including myself) and circumstances (macro and micro) to be other than how they are. 

So I’m gonna give thanking myself for the basics a whirl.  I can work to improve what needs improving at the same time as I can appreciate what there is to be appreciated in the world and in myself.  I’m gonna keep going.

www.livingeveryminuteofit.com

www.combatcovidstress.com

Thank you for keeping going with me.