Just One Word For My 36th Year

Appreciation

I celebrated my birthday on Sunday. As I reflected over the last year, the only thought that churned in my head was appreciation! My 36th year had its ups & downs and I’m not taking away the anger/ grief I felt.

But one of my coping mechanisms is to look at the bright side.

Health

First & foremost, I appreciate the (largely) good health of my loved ones & myself. I took a total of 32, 78, 189 steps, averaging 8, 981 steps per day. I walked 2, 318 kilometers.

I burnt 1, 130 kilo-calories. My aim has been to make myself healthy enough that when I’m old, I can remain independent & still travel the world. Two amazing (& much – needed) benefits of becoming active have been –

1. A better immunity
2. Flawless skin

I appreciate getting the Precaution dose against COVID. I know fully it doesn’t save me from getting the darn virus but it, hopefully, saves me from becoming critically ill or from dying! :D

I appreciate participating in a Dogathon with Fluffy.

Reading

I appreciate reading 26 books in my 36th year. My gaming time reduced significantly which, probably, helped me read better. My reads of 2022 till date below –

Books I Read In 2022

Travel

I appreciate travelling. I sneaked away 11 times. To Mumbai, Taradevi, Patna, Madhya Pradesh (Gwalior, Maihar, Panna, Orchha), Dehradun, Rikholi, Pangot, Kolkata, Nahan, Rajasthan (Jaipur, Ghanerao, Mount Abu, Udaipur & Chittorgarh), Garhmukteshwar, & Wayanad.

Most were sightseeing/ chilling trips but also a couple to meet family & friends & to attend a wedding.

I appreciate having a staycation with my girlfriends.

Writing

I appreciate writing 48 blog posts. I appreciate working as a freelance Editor/ Proofreader/ Writer. I appreciate working towards co-authoring a book. I appreciate becoming a Contributing Writer for my society magazine.

Time With Loved Ones

I appreciate catching up with family & friends.

I appreciate celebrating anniversaries, birthdays & festivals with loved ones.

I appreciate having date nights with N.

I appreciate Fluffy filling my 36th year with even more exuberance.

I appreciate attending a live performance.

I appreciate participating in a Women’s Day event by an exquisite saree store.

That sums up a few of the many things I appreciated about my 36th year. Dear Universe, thank you for being kind to me!

We always, ALWAYS have a choice – We can either disparage what we don’t have OR We can appreciate what we do. The former fills us with cynicism & anger/ grief while the latter well & truly sets us free!

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.

Marcel Proust