A Year of Gratitude – April 1, 2024

I found my gratitude in a memory today. I was looking through old photos, searching for something I knew I had a photo of but couldn’t seem to locate. In my search, I found photos I had forgotten I had.

Looking upon them seemed to bring them alive in my mind. I was transported back to the time when I took them. I could scroll through them and watch as my children grew up, as Penny Lane joined our family as a tiny puppy but didn’t stay tiny for long.

I watched as the abandoned house we moved into became versions of the home we live in now. It was a warm trip down memory lane.

Among the photos I came across were early photos of my life as a chicken keeper. I was so proud of those first seasons of fresh eggs. Every egg I collected seemed like a miracle.

I remember so vividly when my young children and I would go outside to check the nest boxes for fresh eggs. We would go outside, unlatch the collection door on the nest boxes, and peer inside to see what was waiting for us. There was so much excitement in that moment.

We often found a hen in a nest, a bit perturbed that we had disrupted her peaceful time in the nest. We were so excited when we found a fresh egg. We were thrilled when there was more than one to collect.

Those afternoon checks for fresh eggs were the reason I stitched together my very first egg basket. It’s the one in this photo. Since then, it has collected thousands of fresh eggs. I have been grateful for every single one.

Somehow, the joy of collecting fresh eggs never fades. If you’re a gardener, it’s a bit like harvesting a beautifully ripe tomato from the garden. You know the moment will come, but you’re so delighted when it finally arrives.

It’s easy for me to remember the joy and excitement I felt those first few seasons we had fresh eggs of our own because I still feel it today. I still marvel at these hens who ask so little of us and reward our care with these delicious eggs to cook and bake with.

I collected six fresh eggs from our hens today. As I picked them up, I did what I always do. I said, “Thank you girls” and placed them in my egg basket. It’s something I have been doing for more than a decade now, but it was just as wonderful today as it was all those years ago. I’m so grateful to still feel that way.

This post is part of our A Year of Gratitude Series. You can find the introduction, inspiration, and entire year’s gratitude’s posts here.