The Gratitude Diaries #8

A few weeks back, I started The Gratitude Diaries: a series of posts documenting what I’m grateful for each week. I started this series in April, just as Coronavirus began to take hold, and – since – things have escalated. Though things haven’t been easy, there are still things to feel grateful for.

The lovely people I’ve connected with through a book club

I joined a book club (Books with Brooke, started by Whispering Woman and Read With Jess) this month and, since joining, I’ve not only increased my Instagram and blog followers, I’ve also found myself with more book recommendations (to add to my ever increasing TBR pile) and I’ve connected with loads of lovely people over social media and the very active WhatsApp group!

Getting the facilities to work from home

For a few months, I’ve been furloughed from my job. Recently though, my regular hours were scrapped in place of full time hours and the opportunity to work from home. It’s taken a while but, yesterday, I finally received the stuff I needed to start working from home in a few weeks time.

Music

I recently published a post on the blog about“Songs That Make Me Happy” and – not just on Mental Health Awareness Week – I’ve been so thankful for the new music being released and rediscovering old favourites. Music really has made me feel better during this time, that’s for sure.

Places being open for delivery

Whilst us Northerners don’t have the luxury of McDonald’s (…yet!), a few local places have started reopening their doors for collection and takeaway. I don’t know if I’ll end up ordering from any of them but just knowing places are open makes things feel a bit more familiar.

Socially distanced walks

After so long apart, I’ve finally reunited with my older brother and my nephews (from a distance). Since this all started, I’ve seen their faces on a screen but honestly nothing beats seeing people face to face.

Feeling like myself again

A few weeks ago now, my parents came down with the virus. It was a scary time, because the virus doesn’t discriminate who it affects and – for a while – I was worried it would affect them badly. Soon enough, my sister and I felt as if we were coming down with it – we were not tested but our parents tested positively. Thankfully, even though my sense of taste and smell aren’t fully recovered, I finally feel like myself again.

What are you grateful for this week? I’d love to chat in the comments 😊.