A Year of Gratitude – October 14, 2024

I found my gratitude in silence today. I woke up early. I am not a morning person, but I couldn’t sleep this morning, so I got up to work on a project.

It was damp and cold in the farmhouse. I could hear the rain falling outside. It was too dark to see the rain, but I could hear it clearly. I lit the pellet stove to help take the edge off the chill.

I fed Penny her breakfast. She was not happy about the wet and rainy backyard, so she decided against her usual morning romp and just came back inside. She picked out a spot on the couch in front of the fire and I covered her with one of her favorite blankets.

The house was quiet. Only Penny and I were awake. I brewed myself a cup of coffee and grabbed my robe. It’s the first day of the season where a robe was called into duty. I know that it won’t be the last.

I settled in at my desk and got to work. There was something very peaceful about the quiet. Only the sound of the fire and Penny Lane’s light snoring were audible.

I worked for a few hours before getting up to stretch my legs. Penny lifted her head to make sure that she wasn’t missing something exciting before laying her head down and going back to sleep.

I returned to my work in the quiet. I continued until I heard footsteps on the back staircase that leads into the farmhouse kitchen. As much as I am content in the quiet, there’s nothing better than the sound of people you love walking into your day.

As I felt a smile come over my face at that sound, I was reminded at just how fortunate I am to spend my days with people I love. What a gift they are to me. I hope that I return the favor each day.

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.