Giving Thanks In 2023

If you follow this blog at all, you will have noticed that I haven’t been posting much beyond my Fitness Logs. I’ve been having a tough few weeks, in the setting of a not-so-easy year.

If you were to ask me how things are going, I’m much more likely to tell you about my latest challenges, than to say Great! and really mean it.

As this is Thanksgiving week in the USA, I think this might be a good time to practice flexing my thankfulness muscles. It’s good for me to count my blessings.

I hope you will not take this as boastfulness, but more as an opportunity to count your own blessings, whatever they might be.

With no further ado, I am thankful for:

My health

I write every week about my exercise. My stated goal is to exercise enough to maintain (or even improve) my health.

It’s also true, however, that I actually enjoy my exercise (at least most of the time). I’ve stopped writing posts about my neighborhood walks, but they really do make me feel better in the moment.

I am very grateful to be healthy enough to go for a walk when the weather is nice, for a very broad definition of nice.

My finances and my job

I work pretty hard, and don’t get paid nearly as much as some other physician bloggers who are surgeons or ER physicians.

However, I still earn enough money that I can live a comfortable life, and save for retirement and splurges. I am very grateful that an unexpected home repair bill is only a cause for grumbling, instead of a real hardship.

And, for all that I am currently enjoying a weekend day off of work (with no desire to go into the office), I am grateful for my workplace in other ways.

I work with great partners, who have supported me during this tough year, when I canceled clinic at the last minute to leave town for family emergencies.

A mentoring project I took on 2 years ago has grown, and is giving me tremendous professional satisfaction. In addition, I have support to pursue additional education in a growing area, with tentative plans to join a specialty clinic–one that, as my own PCP says, is a great way to bridge into retirement.

Lastly, though I don’t always say it (or even think it through), I am grateful for my patients who trust me with their health and their very personal stories.

My opportunities to travel

I love to get out of town, to see something new.

I haven’t done quite as much as I would like this year, really taking only 2 big trips, one of which was to a conference.

However, I am very grateful to be able to go–both in terms of having the money to make it possible, and the freedom to do so. There are so many people in the world who aren’t free to leave their home regions, I should acknowledge my privilege to do so.

My home

After traveling far away, I am always excited to come home.

When I can’t go away, I can enjoy a very comfortable time going nowhere (I am looking forward to some of that time at the end of the year).

I am very grateful that, although I can look around my home and make a huge to-do list, I have a comfortable space to relax in, and a nice yard to look out at (or lounge in, if the weather cooperates).

My friends

I am grateful for my real-life friends, who have been super-supportive during lots of challenges, and who invite me (sometimes) to get out of the house and see something new. As time goes by, I am also grateful to have people to share memories with.

I am also grateful for my blog friends. I can see that fewer people read this blog lately (not surprising, since I write less). Those who comment or “like” my blog on WordPress help me feel my writing isn’t totally irrelevant to others.

My family

A list like this can’t ignore family. And even if they know all the buttons to push, and sometimes push them, I am grateful for my family. They have known me the longest, seen me through some of my toughest times, and we know all the same jokes.

Also, I am super grateful that we have supported each other during our recent tough times. I see a number of people whose family do quite the opposite, so I know not to take it for granted.

As for Mr. PiN, my chosen family member, I am grateful for all that he does to make our relationship great. Further elucidation might be more appropriate on another holiday, but I can’t leave him out today.

I was rather crabby about a post counting my blessings when I started, but I finished the rough draft feeling extremely fortunate. Do you feel like sharing what you are thankful for today?