Three things I am grateful for in 2021

What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude.

~ Brené Brown

As I reflect on the past year, I can’t help but feel blessed and hopeful. Here are just three reasons why.

Staycations

Our adult children have chosen to hang with us for the better part of the last week. We did not leave the house aside from driving a visiting aunt home, grocery shopping once and walking outdoors daily.

As a family that has prioritized travel over gift exchange in the past, we seem to be no less happy given our inability to vacation abroad. Aside from our daughter and son-in-law’s trip out west for their honeymoon, we have not ventured far from home since March 2020.

We opted for very few wrapped gifts under the tree, as usual, this holiday season. Sharing homemade meals and treats and playing games was gift enough. We keep it simple.

A Course in Miracles

Sitting on my bookshelf for over ten years was a 1000 page plus book that beckoned my attention. After several failed attempts where I experienced resistance and confusion, I committed to reading one passage daily starting on January 1, 2021. This task was far from easy, and I do not claim to have mastered the Course content, but I managed to pull it off.

A Course in Miracles is a complete self-study guide for spiritual awakening. It teaches the way to inner peace, love and healing through forgiveness. Miracles happen when we shift our perception from fear to love and gratitude. I’m still learning to discern rather than judge. Love does not condemn.

Ted Lasso

Although I seldom watch TV, we did indulge in watching and reminiscing about the content of the Ted Lasso AppleTV+ series.

An American college football coach, Ted Lasso, finds himself coaching a lacklustre English football (soccer) team. While lacking in skill, his kindness, selflessness and optimism become contagious, and he captures the hearts of many.

The character development and the complexity of evolving relationships are captivating. The dialogue is hilarious. The nuanced portrayal of masculinity is timely. The show makes it clear that, like sport, love requires practice. We can hardly wait for the third season.

The key to the Ted Lasso way is the word believe clipped from the phrase “Do you believe in miracles?” Miracles do happen when we have faith and change the lens through which we see things.

Closing thoughts

The miracle of gratitude is that it shifts your perception to such an extent that it changes the world you see.

~ Dr. Robert Holden

Even under the catastrophe of the past year, there have been so many things for which to be grateful.

Love and gratitude are the antidotes to fear. Love unites. Fear condemns.

I do believe in miracles. When we change our story, we change our reality.

Let us unite lovingly to create a more livable world in 2022.