G is for Gratitude
The sense of gratitude comes to me in fits and starts, like bubbles that are all around me and burst from time to time on my face, drawing my attention, refreshing me. Sometimes, I’m not sure if what I’m experiencing is gratitude or little bursts of love but either way, it makes me feel warm and wonderful to realise how lucky I am.
One of the the things that prompts this fuzzy feeling is my husband, hence the confusion over what to call it, I suppose. Yes, I love him, but I’m grateful for him in many ways. Shall I count them? Well, maybe not all of them but one that springs to mind would be his supportiveness. For example, I recently ordered a new camera so that I could develop my growing interest in photography and hopefully start taking better photographs. Not only did he bring it home earlier than necessary, just so he could see the look on my face when I opened the box, he’s given me the time and space I’ve needed since then to play with it.
He’s amazingly patient when we go anywhere, knowing that I want to stop every few seconds to take photos and only ever complains when it comes between him and his food.
Another being I’m grateful for is our dog, Daisy. The smile on her face when she’s tucked up and sleeping makes my heart sing, as do the little jumps of joy and excitement she gives when she’s out on a walk.
Some people, myself included, think I’m very lucky to be living in Portugal and I am grateful that I was born under circumstances that have made that relatively easy to do. As a Brit, and therefore part of the EU, I’m entitled to stay here and work. As a native English speaker, I have travelled around the world teaching my mother tongue, so I’m very grateful to speak a language that other people are desperate to learn, even though it makes me feel uncomfortable at times that English is such a dominant linguistic force.
So yes, I’m blessed and fortunate to have a British passport that I didn’t have to fight or bribe anyone for. I’m lucky that my native language is something I can get paid to work with in other counties but I’m also grateful that I took the plunge and left the UK, where I wasn’t satisfied with the life I was living or the future I envisaged there.
The best decision I ever made was the one to leave my banking job and travel around the world. It was a tough one to make, too. I was desperately in love at the time and I knew that leaving to travel would end us, but I also had the sense to know that we wouldn’t have lasted anyway, and that it was more important for me to do something for myself for once, and not just let my life revolve around a man.
I’m grateful for the experiences I had during that first backpacking trip, and the lessons I learned about other countries and cultures, and about myself. Most of all, I’m glad that the urge to travel has stayed with me and brought me to Portugal where I’m happy, safe and secure and although it’s complicated at times, I’m still able to travel, both here and further afield, and keep the man I’ve got now.
This post was inspired by this Free Write Friday word prompt, even though it’s not Friday today, and is part of my A to Z of Free Writing.
About Julie Dawn Fox
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Many things that you are grateful for, even I am grateful for them. Every day we must look around us and express our gratitude, for this day will never come again, and so lets be happy on this day and not let our thoughts wander to the past or to the vague future.