50 Shades Of Grateful

Because life is colorful

I know, I know. 50 shades. Cheap, but just could not resist that.

Just for fun, I set my timer for ten minutes to see how many things I could list before it went off. And here’s what I came up with.

So family and friends are a given. I thought of covering the extras here — the little things that make up the big stuff but then I realized my gratitude list could never be complete without my friends, family, and family friends.

1. Coffee.

2. Conversations with my Mom. In my head. And my heart. Where she lives.

3. Sury and his sense of humor and tolerance.

4. Vidur. Blessed to be his Mom.

5. Working from home (no commute!).

6. A nice home (including the dust bunnies, who are my playmates).

7. The privilege of being able to support some charities and children.

8. Diabetes. Yes. Because it has made me stick to a healthy lifestyle and has my family buddying up too.

9. My blogs. The joy of writing.

10. Blogging friends who are loyal readers of my blog and write wonderful comments

11. Readers who are non-bloggers and take the time out to send me an email of appreciation.

12. The kindness of strangers —like the lady I used to meet at the bus stop every day who would smile and ask how are you. I still don’t know her name, but we saved seats for each other and helped each other with change for our tickets. I love her bright smile!

13. Clients who trust me and make it possible for me to live my dream as a writer. I may not be rich, but I am happy!

14. Decent eyesight. I live in fear of losing it. Stupid, I know. But not impossible.

15. Which brings me to my spectacles. Imagine not having them. Imagine not being able to read! Imagine shutting the windows to my world!

16. A fabulous camera that helps me click memories.

17. Being able to walk everywhere in our area without the need for transport.

18. Interacting with children.

19. The pigeons who give a shit in my balcony. I am disgusted to say I miss them when they’re not moaning at my window. I am grateful for their company — kind of annoying, but also soothing.

20. Sunshine in my balcony helps dry the laundry on my clothesline and bathes that part of our apartment in its brilliant light. And heat.

21. Fans that work and keep us cool. In this category, I’d include all the amenities we enjoy — hot water, the cooking stove, the food we eat, the beds we sleep on, and just about everything we use to stay alive and happy. This includes our potty. Yes. Can you imagine not having a toilet in the house? I can. I know how that feels like.

22. Nice neighbors. Big difference in life.

23. My laptop, which enables me to work from home and keeps me connected with the world.

24. Books — real and digital. Oh, the joy! I have enough to read for as long as I exist. No lie!

25. Email/WhatsApp/Zoom. Instant communication with friends all over the world.

26. Our terrace, where I walk every day with Nature. With birds. Kites, parrots, pigeons, mynahs, crows. Then later, the bad boy bats. Huge ones.

27. Our building watchman, who always has a smile for me and points out a new flower, because he’s so amused when I run and photograph it.

28. My best friend of 50 years, who always seems to sense I want to talk to her and calls.

29. Meeting virtual friends in real life. So wonderful! Truly, it is a small world!

30. A good doctor when I need him/her. Well the “him” has great hair and a fab sense of humor. And oh, he’s a good doc too. Really!

31. Memories. So maybe I had a less than perfect childhood and grew up poor — but you know what they say about the journey. I wouldn’t trade that for anything in the world.

32. My shortcomings — there’s always room for improvement. I am only a work in progress.

33. Music playlists and YouTube — always keep me upbeat and help me pretend I am a rock star.

34. Online shopping — saves me the trips and queues. It means I can spend my time more meaningfully and productively. And of course, sometimes retail therapy is…therapy.

35. The garbage collector in our apartment complex smiles as she collects the trash. Every single day. So humbling.

36. The pharmacy opposite our house with its friendly staff that responds promptly when I phone in my prescription.

37. Our bank’s relationship manager is helpful beyond the call of duty.

38. The old man on our street who stoically occupies a space on the sidewalk. A lesson in survival. Would cure anyone of complaining.

39. My education. Always grateful to my Mom. I know how she struggled to make this possible.

40. Fresh fruits and vegetables make it easy for me to stay on the path to living healthy.

41. Time. The time I spend with my family — talking, singing, watching TV. The time I have because I chose to work as a freelancer.

42. The internet. What would we do without it? It has turned me into an information junkie. Which is a good thing as my work involves a lot of research!

43. Social media and instant messaging. My keyboard is my world!

I love my computer because my friends live in it!

44. Being able to indulge in travel and see places.

45. My photo albums. Going through them is like a mini-vacation.

46. The luxury of goofing off from work when I feel like it.

47. My favorite pair of shoes. I cannot wear shoes when I travel as my feet swell and make it uncomfortable. But my friend got me the perfect pair of shoes that are roomy and cozy. With many pairs of ankle socks in different colors that I like to mix and match. What?

48. My clutter. Which becomes my cheap keep-fit routine when I spring clean. Ah, the things I discover when I start sorting out stuff. I was always obsessed with being organized, but now I know it is okay to slack off. There are more important things in life. And it is enough to be organized with the things that really matter.

What is this life if, full of care, we have no time to stand and stare?

49. Each one of you reading this. Thank you!

50. Vanita Cyril, who makes it possible for me to sleep in peace, knowing she has my back with my blogs and my sanity.

I could write 100 more, you know?

What are you grateful for, today?

Feel free to set your timer and make your list. Then share something from it with me in your comment ❤

Vidya Sury, Collecting Smiles. ❤ Did you smile today?