Make it beautiful

The universal power of gratitude cannot be lost.

To be grateful to see the previous year fall into the books, a chapter that can be closed. But that is not the only thing to be grateful for. Despite the many valleys, fewer mountain tops, a phrase resounded: you cannot go it alone.

Looking forward, too, is to see gratitude abundant. Push for the silver linings. “That was shitty” ,“yes, but…” fill in the blank. Find the hand that reached out, pulled you up. Find the body that owns the laugh, the laugh that echoed against the walls, that reminded you that there are walls, that the bad stuff is just a room you’re walking through. The decor might be terrible, there might not be windows, or maybe there are windows, but they are closed. Sometimes there is mould and walls that need to be washed. But no room is without a door, without an exit, that, once walked through, will lead you to the next room. Maybe the next room is the foyer, with bright light flowing through. Double doors that open outside, that bring in new characters and fresh air. Exhale, at last.

Find the fresh air, find your lungs, find your friends. Move forward. Feel the feeling of all the belongings you have, the ones that were gifted, the ones you purchased on your solo travels. The ones that are full of memories. The play-off towels, the friendship bracelets, the beach glass. The fall leaves my mom presses and mails to me every autumn. Each item imbued with a moment of being thought of, of being collected into something that you can hold in your hands. Grateful. The medal from the race you ran, on a sunny day, your parents at the finish line. The body that responded to the challenge, that appreciated the experience. Face value, grateful. The worn shurt that marks the annual trip, of high school friends past. The film still in its canister, promising moments, maybe moments that you have already forgotten - but knew to collect in the moment.

Know to collect the moment, know to write it down. Maybe the writing is the additional time you spend lingering there. Maybe it’s something else. It’s presence, it is, gratitude, abundant.