A Year of Gratitude – July 12, 2024

My gratitude came by way of a reminder today. I was looking for a photo on my phone and came across this one. It’s from 2018, a time that feels like it took place in a different world.

I took this photo one evening while out on the back patio. You can see Penny Lane in the background. She’s on patrol with a natural chew bone in her mouth.

Fun fact about Penny: she doesn’t eat edible treats like a chew bone, pig ear, etc. She will carry them around for hours, taking them on laps in the house or backyard. But she won’t chew on them. Ever. She just doesn’t want to.

Anyway, back to the photo. On this evening, July 7, 2018, I was simply enjoying the moment while watching Penny be silly with her treat stick. I had my candle lit, I don’t remember if I was working on a recipe or just sitting outside.

What I do know is that I was glad to be there. I always am. When I sit there, in our backyard, I find peaceful moments. I find myself taking a deep breath, feeling my cares drift away just a little, enough to make space for me to take a break from them.

Sure, they follow me back inside the farmhouse when I go back inside. But it’s nice to have a few minutes to just breathe in and out and focus on all the good that is in my life, all the love that lives right here at the farmhouse. I’m so lucky to be here, to have the people I love and care about near me. What a gift that is.

This place is special to me because of the people who call it home. Without them, it is just a house. With them, it is a home filled with laughter and love. I’m so grateful to be a part of that, to feel surrounded by love every day.

It’s funny how looking at a photograph of something can remind you of a memory or a feeling that isn’t even in the photograph, isn’t it? I’m so grateful that I saw this photo today and that it reminded me of just how thankful I am to be right here. It’s the place I was always meant to be.

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.