5 Things I’m Grateful For Today

I’ve tried to make it a habit of writing 5 things I’m grateful in my gratitude journal every night before bed or first thing in the morning when I wake up. I’ve definitely fallen off lately. However, with the latest turn of events, I’m even more inclined to recognize my blessings. Because honey, it’s been rough! So, today I decided to share with you 5 things that I’m grateful for. I encourage you to do the same.

A couple weeks ago, my job told us that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we would begin working from home on March 12, 2020. I was so excited, and couldn’t wait to finally catch up on some of my own personal tasks that I had been putting off for weeks. Well, that excitement wore off pretty quickly because the next day, I received an email from Elijah’s school stating that they would be holding digital learning days the following week until further notice. Basically, Elijah would not be going to school, and would need to stay at home…with me…all day…for the next week. I knew this was going to be tough. And as it turns out, I was right. I was in for a very long week of trying to adjust to this new temporary normal.

Thank God for my job

However, before I could even get upset or complain about the situation, I was reminded by my mom and my coworker, Taneisha, that there were a lot of parents out there who didn’t have the privilege of being able to work at home. I’m sure there were plenty of parents panicking trying to figure out how they were going to make this situation work. Who would watch their children? Would they be able to go to work? Would they lose their jobs? Etc. Yet, the company that I work for was allowing us to work at home, and were aware that we would have to care for our kids simultaneously. I didn’t have to panic when Elijah’s school said they would be closing, so thank God for that.

Thank you God for Sunshine

The first few days of working remotely, it rained about 75% of the time. I was starting to think that the sun would never come out. On top of that, both Elijah and I were getting cabin fever. We needed to get out. Well, thank God, the sun came out just in time (right before we lost our minds lol). We couldn’t wait to go outside and walk our favorite trail behind my apartment complex. Breathing in the fresh air, hearing the water splash in the river flowing along side, and seeing the birds, squirrels, and ants move about was a much needed experience after spending days tucked away in the house. Thank God for sunshine.

Thank you God for Youtube and ABCMouse

I know some parents are going to judge me harshly for this but, YouTube is the perfect distraction for Elijah. He can literally watch every “choo choo train” video that exists. And I use that time to catch up on work, tasks, meeting, etc. I also discovered ABCMouse, and signed up for their 30 day trial. I love this program for Elijah. He gets to practice his numbers, letters, and words with some creative games. And again, it’s a great distraction for him while I tackle a few things that I need to get done.

Thank You God For the Perfect Child

No, Elijah isn’t perfect. But, he’s perfect for me. I can’t even list everything that he has taught me since being his mom. The list would be too long. This week I was reminded of how smart, rambunctious, intrigued, adept, cautious, sweet, caring, adaptive, and loving he is. It’s truly amazing just watching him be himself completely. This week with him also made me realize that I hadn’t spent this much time with Elijah since he was a newborn. I know I’m going to miss these moments when it’s time to go back to our normal life. I’m so thankful for him.

Thank You God For Mommy Breaks

After juggling life as an employee, mother, and educator simultaneously while being in the house for the entire week, I was mentally drained and exhausted. I’m not going to lie, I was looking forward to Elijah’s weekend with his dad. This weekend gave me some time to focus on me and figure out how to best take advantage of this time that we’re being isolated. I started working out again, reading, and spent some time meditating. I also came up with a better schedule that Elijah and I will be able to stick to for the new week. It was the perfect amount of time for me to get my mind right in preparation for the upcoming week. So, now I’m able to turn my mommy switch back on and make sure Elijah and I have what we need to thrive during this crazy time. Thank God for mommy breaks.

I hope you have an amazing week. And remember to be grateful. Life is never as bad as it seems. Happy Monday y’all!!!