Gratitude
Everyone’s lives have been impacted in subtle and overt ways since the pandemic struck and the world events around racial justice. Even amidst all the upheaval, people are finding gifts, blessings and silver linings as well as a lot to be grateful for. I am inspired by these stories of individuals and families doing whatever it takes to make adjustments and find hope, joy and integrity. Here are just a few of the fascinating life journeys I’ve witnessed this year:
One woman is planning to sell or donate her family's estate, which is a historical landmark, due to its roots as a plantation.
A couple in Brooklyn launched the "austerity plan" since the primary earner's salary was cut by 40%.
A man was on a work off-site in Bali when the Coronavirus hit and decided to stay in Indonesia long-term.
One client, 12-weeks pregnant, decided to get divorced and move in with her parents on the Oregon coast.
When the virus first spiked in Manhattan, a pregnant couple abandoned their apartment in the West Village and moved their one year old to the west coast. They're now living with her parents in her childhood home.
A 65-year old woman, living in the Chelsea neighborhood in New York, made the heartbreaking, but honest decision to sell her horse upstate in order to begin saving for retirement. She also opened a knitting / crafting Etsy shop selling beautiful crocheted exfoliating cloths as well as homemade flat bags, journals and wallets with photographs printed on fabric.
A 30-year old single client in Salt Lake City got a puppy, a lifelong dream!
Clients drove from New York City to Alabama and another from Tennessee to California to see their grandchildren.
A couple, living in upstate New York, decided to return to their roots as performers, install a professional level outdoor trapeze system on their property and start a summer camp.
A couple moved out of Silicon Valley to San Diego where they were able to buy double the house on double the lot size with a pool for the same cost.
One family pulled their three kids out of a New York City private school, sold their Tribeca apartment and moved permanently into their smaller summer home in Maine. The kids now attend public school.
Another family rented an RV and toured the US for three months so the dad could work (travel is required for his sales job) and the kids did Zoom School on the road. Adventure!
I know several people who have taken a leave of absence from work in order to address changing needs and priorities at home as well as their own self-care.
A long-time stay at home mom made a decision to start a business as a parent coach. She also set up multiple bank accounts in her own name, funded with joint money, for the first time since getting married. Talk about empowerment!
Several people are taking advantage of indefinitely working from home:
A couple, with a young child, who struggled to make ends meet in Silicon Valley, moved to Iceland.
Another family, with three under four, fulfilled their dream of living in a mountain town and moved from Portola Valley to Park City, Utah to try it out for ten weeks over the summer. They loved it so much, they bought a house and are staying!
A woman in her twenties moved from San Francisco to LA to be closer to her best friend. She bought a motorcycle and now lives two blocks from the beach.
One of my clients was visiting her family in Boston when the virus spread up and down the east coast. She realized she’s been given the gift of unexpected time with her aging parents and she gave up her lease in San Francisco. One of her west coast friends took care of everything and vacated her apartment for her. Such love and generosity!
And the stories of change and transformation keep coming in. The Greater Good Science Center published a white paper titled, “The Science of Gratitude” (2018), where they outlined the benefits of practicing gratitude for individuals:
increased happiness and positive mood
more satisfaction with life
less materialistic
less likely to experience burnout
better physical health
better sleep
less fatigue
lower levels of cellular inflammation
greater resiliency
encourages the development of patience, humility, and wisdom
The pandemic has really turned things inside out, for all of us. It’s brought up important questions like: Am I happy here? How do I feel and what do I need? In the face of this global health crisis, what’s intuitively coming up for you? Is your behavior aligned with your core values? I’d love to hear about your experience practicing gratitude this year and I’ll leave you with this:
“While it’s not easy to be grateful for every moment, it is always possible to be grateful in the moment.”
-David Steindl-Rast