It's the Little Things

Whenever an unexpected tragedy occurs, like it did yesterday at the Boston Marathon, I like to take a moment to count my blessings. I will forever be grateful for my friends, my family, the roof over my head, my job and the endless supply of food Andrew and I ensure we have access to in our fridge and pantry. But what about the things that we don't always talk about being grateful for?

Here are ten "little things" in my life that I'm grateful for:

1. The area I live in: it's trendy, it's safe, it's close to the subway and everything you could imagine is within walking distance.
2. I'm completely free to make my own decisions.
3. My photo albums: whoever created the first camera, with pictures that could be printed off, was a genius. I love being able to remember moments of my past whenever I want, just by opening a photo album.
   

   

   Little brother and I a few years back during the Santa parade

4. Books: I didn't have cable growing up, let alone a TV for a good few years of my life, so books were my entertainment. They helped me get through tough times, kept me busy and taught me a lot.
5. Music: I'm sure this one was obvious. I don't know what I'd do without music.
6. High-speed Internet: would you believe me if I told you I remember a time before the Internet? I also remember when the Internet first came around. I remember dial-up on AOL, the annoying sound it made as it connected and just. how. SLOW it was! High-speed Internet changed our lives. Don't lie. It changed yours too. 
7. Chapstick: It seems silly, I know. But, I seriously can't stand the feeling of dry lips.
8. My xbox/video games: This seems even sillier, but hear me out. Growing up, I was bullied quite a bit. I also had a lot to take care of at home. I wanted nothing more than an escape. One day, my dad surprised me with a computer. Through that, I discovered video games. When I was at the computer, playing video games, I felt safe. More importantly, I felt happy! I discovered that there were other kids out there like me, who hid from the bullies by playing video games. I became friends with these other kids. Thanks to them, I made it through. I went off to University and I had a blast. I made more friends and - who knew - they had used video games as an escape too! It somehow all connected us. But we had grown up now, so we were able to enjoy socializing, going to parties and most importantly, we enjoyed life. It was a learning experience for me. So, when I graduated, I bought myself an xbox. It was a reward for my hard work. For making it. I don't use it as much as I used to anymore, but sometimes it's nice to be able to just turn it on and escape for a bit. Or use it for Netflix.
9. Sunshine: Sunshine makes my day.



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10. The blogging community: I may still be new to blogging, but it's so nice to discover such a welcoming and caring community. I'm very happy I decided to start blogging.

What are you grateful for today?