A Year of Gratitude - July 2025 Snapshot

My word for 2024 was GRATITUDE.  To help myself keep the focus on that word all year, I started keeping a gratitude journal on January 1, 2024, and I’ve been writing at least 3-4 things I’m grateful for every single day since then.  I shared little snapshots of each month last year to hold myself accountable, and since I ended up enjoying these posts so much, I decided to continue them in 2025.

I’m only pulling one item from my gratitude journal per day to share here (okay, sometimes two or three), and some of the things are really big things like good health and good relationships, some things are humorous, and some things are the little things that most of the time go unnoticed.  Overall, though, the purpose of this whole exercise is to remember that even on the very worst of days, there is ALWAYS something for which to be grateful.

Always.

July was such a great month – it was equal parts fun, relaxation, and productivity, and I think it’s safe to say that it was probably my favorite month of 2025 yet… most likely also because my vertigo, dizziness, unsteadiness, and all of the other nasty symptoms I have been facing for so long have finally started to disappear.  It’s amazing how much lighter and happier I feel when I’m not bogged down with chronic pain, headaches, sensitivity to light, vertigo, etc.  I can now sit at the computer and crank out an entire blog post from start to finish so much faster because my brain fog is slowly lifting, and I no longer have pain in my neck when sitting for long periods of time.  It’s AMAZING. 

In addition to all of the above, I also managed to dig way down deep on the to-do list this summer and check things off that I never thought would see the light of day.  That made me feel ultra productive, but somehow, not burned out in the least, and I feel like we started the month of August (and the new school year) feeling prepared and calm.  While I’m sad to see summer go, I really do feel ready for the busy season that lies ahead, and I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to navigate it with grace and, maybe, just maybe, be able to savor it for once instead of watching it rush by while we’re drowning in a bunch of tasks that need to be done.

In July I was grateful…

 

1. For the good parts of social media, one being that it keeps us all connected to loved ones who we can’t see as much as we’d like.
2. That I was able to walk for over three miles with very few side effects from my dizziness… it’s the first time I’ve walked that distance since my vertigo started two years ago!
3. For Olivia randomly telling me today, “I just want to spend time with my mom.”  I love that my sweet girl still loves to spend time with me.
4. For a perfectly low-key 4th of July with friends, for Jeannine’s friendship, and that our kids are all so close.  And also for those who stand up for all of the injustice going on in the world and in our country right now.
5. For a productive day getting stuff cleaned out.
6. For two homecooked meals – one by my mother-in-law and one by my Momma.  They feed us so well on Sundays and we always love our Sunday family time.
7. For a day that felt endless (in a good way).  Somehow, today felt super long, and it felt like we had so much time to get so many things done.  It was an equal mix of productivity, relaxation, and fun times with family and friends.
8. For a rainbow!!!!  I never ever get tired of seeing them.  They truly always seem to appear when I’m hoping to see one the most.
9. For a lazy day at home all day in pajamas.
10. For no dizziness or pain or side effects AT ALL today.  And for having a full heart after helping out at our church’s outreach center.
11. For good times with friends today for both Jacob and Olivia… and for cozy thunderstorms.
12. For an excellent homily at Mass tonight about loving our neighbor… it is so important right now with the way things are in our country during this tumultuous time.
13. For my reading nook in my office.  I love everything about it… the chair, the mirror ball throw pillow, the cozy lamp and twinkle lights, the stack of books, our family picture in our favorite place, and a live plant that is thriving.
14. That my adjustments are holding!  And my atlas is officially level!  It’s not perfect yet, as it still has to be adjusted laterally, but this is such excellent news!
15. For dinner with my girls… they fill my cup every time I get together with them.  And for a 4-mile jog and a quiet evening to myself while Brian took the kids to see a movie.
16. That the snake in the middle of the road didn’t strike at me when I almost stepped on it.  Ugggghhhh.
17. That my dizziness and unsteadiness didn’t fire up too badly at the Back to School Ice Cream social… socializing/having long conversations has always been a trigger for my dizziness, vertigo, and unsteadiness because it makes my neck stiff, and it wasn’t nearly as bad tonight.  Normally after a situation like that, I have to go lay down when I get home and I’m zapped for the rest of the day, but this time, I had mostly recovered in the 15 minutes it took me to get home.
18. That I didn’t have any dizziness or unsteadiness after this adjustment.  And for two patient kids who have been going to most of my appointments with me without a single complaint.
19. For finally getting that closet under the stairs cleaned out… it has been on my list for years and it’s one of the areas that I haven’t touched during my annual house cleanouts for the past couple of years.
20. For Publix, for bailing us out with a birthday cake after Walmart failed us.
21. For feeling totally normal all day today from start to finish. 
22. For a giant birthday eve hug from my Boo.  He’ll wake up a year older tomorrow.
23. For 14 years with Jacob.  That God made me a Momma.  For our rainbow baby in heaven.
24. For more time spent at our church’s outreach center and that our kiddos were so willing to help out there this summer. 
25. For poker night with our usual group.  We’re coming up on three whole years of doing these monthly poker nights and I hope we continue to prioritize them.
26. That Jacob has such good friends. 
27. For Brian, for patiently hanging Olivia’s twinkle lights even though it was a bit tedious… we also ran into a couple of issues while doing it.
28. That Jacob had a blast at high school orientation today.  It’s such a big step, and I’m so happy that he didn’t have any anxiety over all of it.
29. For a date with Brian tonight along with some yummy food and drinks.
30. For several dizzy/pain free days in a row… the longest stretch I’ve had in years.  And also, for these tennis skirts that I wear so much.  They are the comfiest things, but they are SO cute, and they make me feel put together even when I’m actually just bumming around.
31. That Olivia is so happy right now.  She has told me numerous times in the past week that she’s just happy in general in life, and there’s really nothing more in the world that I want for my kids more than I want that.

Happy Monday, y’all!  What is something you’re grateful for today?