It is all too easy to get caught up in the endless list of things that need to be done, or the never-far-from-the-surface sense of panic that underlies the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Taking a moment to press pause on all the noise and be grateful for simple pleasures is an incredibly rewarding thing to do.

Years ago, a friend told me that taking note daily of three things that you’re grateful for is beneficial on many levels. This is something that I continue to do, and being grateful is one of the best parts of every day.

Here are five things that I’m grateful for today.

I’m grateful for sharing my life with a pet. Buster has been my sidekick for nearly a decade, and in the last couple of years we’ve had more time than ever together during stretches of working from home. He makes my heart sing each day, and our regular breaks and walks keep me sane. He’s pictured here during a break to play ball.

I’m grateful for the myriad of pleasures that come from listening to music. I almost always have music playing in the background, and it has the power to transport me to another time and place. It conjures up memories and emotions, and can brighten any moment. This photo was taken before a live performance of the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra.

I’m grateful for having good food to eat and enjoy. I’m not a sophisticated cook by any means, and my tastes are simple. Over the past couple of years I’ve had the chance to experiment a bit more, and a highlight has been discovering a recipe website with great meal ideas using ordinary ingredients. It’s the first place I look when I want a meal that can cook and enjoy. The photo is of fried rice created via RecipeTin Eats – I enjoy Nagi’s blog and seeing what Dozer has been up to as much as the recipes!

I’m grateful for living in a place with such wonderful birdlife. This includes a family of magpies that have adopted me and have no hesitation in coming up to a window to see what I’m up to. They are endlessly entertaining, smart, and their birdsong is a clarion call. There are also satin bowerbirds, king parrots, crimson rosellas, wattlebirds, kookaburras and bossy sulphur crested cockatoos, among others, that brighten any day.

I’m grateful for being able to enjoy time in my garden and to have pockets of wilderness nearby. There is something wonderfully grounding about being able to pick a selection of flowers from a garden, as shown above, or do a spot of weeding. Being surrounded by plants and trees helps to feel connected to something bigger than myself.

Of course, there are many more things that I’m grateful for, like family, friends and books, but it was nice to be able to share some of five things today. What are you grateful for today?

I’m participating in this blogging challenge for the month of January which supports starting the year on the “write” track. You can find out more about the challenge, join in and read other posts here.

Photo: ‘Peace Memorial’ in Katoomba, created by Tom Coley