Gratitude

Yes, this post is about gratitude.  And I'm not talking about the delicious blend at Philz Coffee that comes out every year during the holiday season, although, I'm really looking forward to it.  "Gratitude" is a word that has been on my mind a lot lately.  About a month or so ago, the CEO of my new company held a company wide town hall meeting.  As he spoke to us over Zoom through his laptop in a New York City hotel room, he briefed us on the current events and all the exciting things happening within the organization.  Then he concluded with this:  "Remember Team, it's important to be thankful for what you have, and remember about how far you've come".  I enjoyed hearing all the exciting news about my company, but those closing remarks are what I remember the most about that town hall meeting.

In mid-September, Samantha, Aidan, and I went on a cruise with my in laws.  It was a week-long adventure that departed from the port in Seattle, made three stops in Alaska, and one stop in British Columbia before returning to Seattle.  Although I take a couple of days off work here and there for long weekend trips, I hadn't had a longer vacation with a week off work for quite some time.  I can't remember the last time I had a week where I could just relax and I didn't have to be preoccupied with work.  It turned out having a week-long vacation gave me a lot of time and opportunities to express gratitude.  For me, those moments tend to come naturally when my mind is calm and I'm in a chill setting.  It's been nearly twenty years since my mother's death.  For those who don't know the story, she struggled with alcoholism for quite some time and died during my teenage years.  It was the hardest thing I've ever dealt with.  It's been a roller coaster of experiences since then, but the biggest takeaway I had was this:  don't take shit for granted, and be grateful for what you have.  My life is far from perfect, but I have so much to be grateful for.  Taking the time during our vacation to remind myself of everything good I have in my life was just what I needed in my otherwise fast paced reality. 

One of those moments was when we were in Seattle.  We were staying in a hotel in the downtown area the night before we were supposed to board the cruise ship and head for Alaska.  I woke up early and walked to a local coffee shop down the street.  It was a small joint with only a couple of tables inside.  The barista wore thick glasses and gave off a friendly, but also a kind of reserved vibe.  Grunge music played on the coffee shop stereo, and the coffee was piping hot and delicious.  Outside, the temperature was chilly and the sky was grey and overcast.  In other words, the whole experience felt very "Seattle" to me.  As I sipped my coffee, I took a twenty-minute or so walk through the surrounding neighborhood.  It was one of those moments where everything just seemed super chill, and I naturally thought about all the things that I was grateful for.

The trip was a success.  It was my first time going on a cruise, and our first time on a proper vacation with Aidan.  Of course that made it different from when we traveled without a kid, but we just rolled with it and had a good time.  We had stops in Skagway, Ketchikan, and Victoria.  Unfortunately, we had to bypass our scheduled stop in Juneau due to there being a dangerous storm in the area.  I enjoyed our on-shore adventures, but being on the cruise ship and just hanging out was very rejuvenating for me.  I loved going up on the top deck of the ship, sipping some hot coffee, and just looking out over the ocean.  The surrounding scenery varied depending on where we were.  Some of the time, all I could see was ocean in every direction as far out as the horizon would go.  Other times, some distant mountains and land were visible.  There was a mini-golf course on the top deck of the ship, which Aidan and I visited every day.  Having that time to not have to think about anything and just play mini-golf with Aidan or sip coffee and look out over the ocean was another opportunity to reflect on how far I've come.  Sometimes the simplest things in life bring the most gratitude.        

Samantha and I love Aidan to pieces, but when we have quiet time when he's either asleep or not with us, it gives us time to just chill and think about what we have to be grateful for.  One evening, when we were docked in Ketchikan, my in-laws were kind enough to watch Aidan for a few hours while Samantha and I went on-shore and into town for dinner.  We chatted with some locals and found a great restaurant with super cool servers, and delicious Alaskan crab.  It was the best crab I had ever tasted.  Another stretch of time when things were so nice and chill that we could just reflect on life.  We were grateful for the experience.  

Since returning from our trip, I've made a genuine effort to create more time to express gratitude and reflect on my life journey.  It doesn't necessarily have to be when I'm on vacation.  I have plenty of time during the day when I'm alone.  In the shower, driving to and from work, my morning run, etc.  Expressing gratitude while I'm in the shower has been my thing lately.  It really just makes the rest of my day better all around.  I'm a morning person, and I like to use my mornings to have quiet time and go for a nice run.  Expressing gratitude while in the shower has been a nice addition to my morning routine.  Life is cool and exciting, but let's face it, today's world is busy and full of noise.  It's very easy to get overstimulated.  Stepping back, expressing gratitude, being thankful for all we've been through and how far we've come is exactly what I think the world needs.  It's certainly been beneficial to me.  If we stop and think, there really are a lot of good things in the world.  Sometimes we just need to slow things down in order to find them.