My Reasons for Gratitude, 2018

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

The Smart Man and I celebrated our 20th anniversary with a Western Caribbean cruise in April. While the vacation was wonderful, spending 20 years with my partner and friend is all the celebration I need.

Half way through the fiscal year, I was reassigned to an account that required an engineer with my skill set, and was subsequently given the highest performance mark for the year. I'm grateful to be well regarded in my field and my company, as it helps me to gainsay my imposter syndrome when it rears its ugly head. 

I took charge of my health, shaving 7.4 points off my BMI and 44 lbs off my body. I still have some left to lose to achieve my health goals, but I consider this a noteworthy accomplishment. Mostly I did it for health reasons (my Doc was displeased with my BMI), but not carrying around excess weight is better for my organs, my joints, my energy level, and my outlook.

I went back to school (again) with an eye towards a degree in anthropology. Enrichment learning isn't exactly an inexpensive hobby, and I'm grateful to have the resources to be able to feed the Elephant's Child when I want to.

I was nominated for a "Trustee of the Year" award this year for my service to the Library Board. In my nomination letter, I was paid the highest personal compliment I've ever had: "With self-authenticity that demands alignment between what you say you are about and what you do, Murphy leads the way in 'being the change you wish to see.'"

I completed 4.5 years of service to the local library as a trustee this year. While my service was a labor of love, and it broke my heart to do so, I resigned my appointment because the role was negatively affecting my health and distracting me from other activities I thought were important. But I am grateful to have gotten the chance to serve an institution that meant so much to my Moe-Moe, however briefly.

The Smart Man and I were able to cross off two more ball parks from our list - Wrigley Field for the Cubs, and Guaranteed Rate Field for the White Sox. Bonus gratitude: This time Sister Stacey and Brother JR were able to join us.

We spent two long weekends in Rocky Mountain National Park with Sister Stacey and Brother JR this year. RMNP was one of Moe's happy places, and spending time in the Park makes me profoundly happy, and no matter how long we stay, it's not long enough.

Every year the Smart Man and I donate a bunch of toys to Toys for Tots. We buy throughout the year, and store our purchases in the basement until the first part of December, when we make one larger trip, then take everything to a drop off point. While she lived, Moe always participated with us, using her own money to buy items she could afford for the donation. This year, we decided to include our fabulous niece, who is seven. We gave her a set amount of money, and told her she had to buy for other kids, and buy nothing for herself. That's a tough order for a second grader, and she did great, working hard to understand what was going on and the value in giving to others. I'm grateful to pass on this tradition to our niece, and have the opportunity to help instill the values of generosity, service, and charity to the next generation.

We made it through the year without losing any of our nearest and dearest. After the previous seven years, we're grateful to have had a year where the loss of those we love hasn't ripped out our hearts and left them on the floor.