At the start of 2016, inspired by a friend, I started a daily gratitude challenge – posting one thing that I was thankful for each day on Instagram. I enjoyed it so much that when I reached the end of that year, I carried on and have kept going ever since. Finding one little thing to be thankful for each day has now become part of my daily routine and I’ve loved seeing friends joining in along the way too.
Finding little things to be grateful for isn’t always easy, especially when living through scary and uncertain times. I have found though that trying to find something, however small and trivial, to be grateful for has helped me through some of the hardest days of my life.
My eldest daughter Jessica, who died in April 2018, was an inspiration to me throughout her short life. She had so much strength and such a wonderful zest for life. Her godmother described her once as a “joy carrier” and it was the perfect description for her. She was a little ray of sunshine, full of smiles and gave joy to all who knew her. I am, and will always be, grateful to be her mummy. She taught me to enjoy the little moments and to make the most of everyday because tomorrow is never promised. And even though having to live life without Jessica is by far the hardest thing I have ever had to do, I will continue to look for those little things to be thankful for, and keep going with this challenge in honour of my beautiful brave girl.
Here are my grateful moments from the past week:
Day 138 – I am grateful for a lovely walk with Sophie while Thomas had his nap.
Day 139 – I am grateful that Thomas enjoyed being able to sit at the little table with Sophie for dinner instead of in his high chair. It’s been a long time since I had two children sitting together to eat dinner like this. Was lovely to see them sitting and eating together although will always wish there could have been three of them sitting together there.
Day 140 – I am grateful for home-made ice lollies.
Day 141 – I am grateful for seeds. Sophie enjoyed helping me plant sunflowers and vegetables today. Fingers crossed they grow well!
Day 142 – I am grateful for summery outfits and sandals.
Day 143 – I am grateful that Thomas no longer has Boris hair. I’ve managed to give it a good trim – it is a little bit wonky in places but doesn’t look too bad if you don’t look too closely!
Day 144 – I am grateful for the cupcake decorating kit dropped off by Halo Children’s Foundation as this month’s activity for the children. Thank you, Halo, Sophie had fun decorating (and eating!) her cupcakes.
Aww! Lovely photos. It looks like you’ve spent plenty of time outside this past week. We may as well make the most of it while the weather is nice. x
Thank you Kim. We’ve been so lucky with the weather recently, haven’t we?
Thomas’s summery outfit is beautiful and I love hope often Sophie’s Coombe Mill hat appears in your photos. How lovely seeing the two of them sitting at the little table together, but it must be really bittersweet for you. x
It is lovely to watch them together but yes always bittersweet too.
Lovely photos this week, they look so cute sitting together to eat. You did a good job with cutting Thomas’s hair and Sophie looks so proud of her cupcake decorations
Thank you, I was relieved the haircut turned out okay!
Some many lovely things to have enjoyed and be thankful for this week! Well done Thomas on sitting to the table to eat his food, such a milestone and makes life easier in some ways. Well done to you for the haricut too, I cannot even draw a straight line so to attempt cutting hair is something I am straying away from :/
Summer outfits and sandals are definitely needed right now, the glorious weather is lifting moods for sure! Hope you are having a lovely week! Sim x #Project366
Thank you. It is lovely to see Thomas sitting at the table outside, although admittedly I do end up having to chase him around the garden and get him to sit back down again a few times during each meal!
LOL @ Boris hair ! Some really cute photos this week. Lovely to see them having fun together 🙂
It really is like Boris hair when it starts to get a bit too long!
Aww, Thomas’s summery outfit is beautiful. I love Sophie’s Coombe Mill hat. How lovely seeing the two of them sitting at the little table together, I know it’s hard. Hugs xxx
Thank you, I love seeing them together but it is bittersweet.
The cupcake decorating kit sounds lovely!
I need to get more summer outfits and sandals for Bee as she has outgrown most of her clothes
The cupcake decorating kit was fun – it was a lovely surprise to get that delivered to us.
They both look so adorable sitting and eating together. Fingers crossed! Thomas looks cute in his sandals. Hahahahaaha he does have Boris’s hair.
He really does! He gets it from his Grandad 🙂
Will be nice but sad to see the two of them sat together, sadly that space will always have someone missing – sending hugs
Gald she enjoyed the baking, that is one happy smile, and learning to grow things is a valuable life lesson.
Thank you Elaine. I love that Sophie enjoys baking with me so much.
I really like eating outside and they look very happy sitting at their table. My youngest use to have Boris hair too. She looks very happy indeed with her cupcakes such a lovely gesture.
She was so pleased with them 🙂
Such lovely photo’s, I bet Thomas felt like such a big boy sitting at that table
He certainly looked like a big boy sitting there with Sophie 🙂
How lovely that they drop an activity off! Cake decorating is always a popular activity here too. I think you had done a fab job of your son’s hair! I hope the seeds grow well for you! We should plant some here, so rewarding when it works out.
Thank you – we have a few seedlings appearing so far, so fingers crossed.
We joke about my eldest having Boris hair when it gets long! We have finally given in and swapped the winter and summer wardrobes as the weather seems to be staying warm #project366
Thomas is getting so big and grown up. I love his hair cut. I did the husband’s today and it now looks like Spock from Star Trek!! 🙂
#project365
Lol, Thomas needs his cutting again already!