Gratitude Journal 04.25

Long time, no write! More soon...

03.24 - Sometimes all it takes is a slice (or two) of New York style cheese pizza.

03.25 - If you’ve been reading APFMT for a long time, you’ll know how much I love Sudoku…a pocket-sized book of single digits numbs everything I need it to!

03.26 - Mike White’s ingenuity with White Lotus. I’ve turned towards shows like this to keep me entertained and distracted after a long day’s work.

03.27 - Reading my work for the first time at the New York Society Library, which is an ardent reminder of the first time I ever shared my work as a senior in high school, when I unexpectedly walked away with that year’s best poem.

03.28 - A fortuitous travel day with an earlier Amtrak train and the surprise ease of transport.

03.29 - An eighty-degree day at the tail end of Winter!

03.30 - A mini college reunion in D.C., where I’m reminded of how fortunate I am to have met such a great group of friends and how lucky I am to hold onto them forever. 🍀

03.31 - A batch of girl scout cookies delivered to Diane’s Books—the ultimate mid-day pick-me-up.

04.01 - And the Subway Grammy goes to…

04.02 - Quiet moments—seldom yet treasured in a second-story walk-up.

04.03 - Finally making my own baby book wagon, with some favorites from Diane’s.

04.04 - After watching HBO’s The Pitt, I have a newfound appreciation and reverence of emergency and non-emergency medical staff, especially after the horrors of the COVID-19 pandemic.

04.05 - A little tap on my shoulder that turned into a weekend of surprise, joy, and comfort.

04.06 - Casual, lazy, rainy Sundays. Hard to glorify in our productivity-obsessed culture, but made all the better with the company of the one I love most.

04.07 - Seldom can you step outside in New York City and not drop at least ten dollars to get somewhere or do something but today I got a free donut from a generous street vendor. Two dollars of spare change has been sitting in my purse ever since (I’m waiting to pay him back, though does that demean his generosity in the first place?!).

04.08 - It’s different to go into a bookstore now that I work in one, yet it’s peculiarly even more fun, and luckily for me, NYC has not shortage of offerings!

04.09 - It’s hard to adjust back to work after a mini stay-cation, so today I’m grateful for the strength to get out of bed.

04.10 - I dug my glasses out of the drawer where they were collecting dust after nearly two years and I forgot how clear and bright the world is.

04.11 - A packed Metro-North train ride where a kind lady offers the middle seat next to her, which I take. The cushioned seat means more after trudging through several cars with seats taken by backpacks, briefcases, and all manner of other things that didn’t buy tickets.

04.12 - Patti Smith’s refreshing vitality and tender agedness during an intimate performance with her children at the Greenwich Library, especially considering her spirit sold all but four of the books I had to lug back to the store!

04.13 - The ingenuity of craftspeople, especially this bedazzled handmade New York-inspired design, which caught the eye of but a few prospective buyers (and wearers).

04.14 - A short week, with a holiday as the bookend.

04.15 - Being my own personal assistant today, booking appointments and keeping up with the bureaucracy.

04.16 - Every Wednesday, a three-year-old with white-blonde curly hair aptly named Alice comes to visit me at Diane’s. Today she brought me a Tulip. It is not overstated to say that a hello from this child brightens every dour and sedated corner of my entire existence.

04.17 - Chia pudding with small slices of pineapple. When something unexpected turns out to be the best treat. Life continues to surprise me.

04.18 - Bo. The most gentle, mellow, regenerative soul in the fluffiest flesh. Happy to have known him as long as I did. What I’d do for one more paw sniff…

(…this was the last time I ever held him in my arms).

04.19 - Patience and generosity of two copilots as we travel 400 miles through the desert. 🏜️ 🌵 🐪 plus, a bug’s life which came back around in an interesting way, reminding me of the reciprocity of it all.

04.20 - A long, unabridged talk with a new friend. Feeling liked, loved, and seen.

04.21 - Sleep, glorious sleep! The sleepiness that follows me through the day, the yawns that beckon me to bed.

04.22 - The first signs of Spring with this beautiful tree in the front lawn.

04.23 - Suleika Jaouad and this beautiful piece of art.

04.24 - The uninhibited joy remembered scrolling through the pictures of Cameron and I’s trip to the San Diego Zoo. The most perfect way to say goodbye to the city where we met!

04.25 - Books that swallow you whole and remind you of their lives long after you’ve closed the last page. One such example is This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel.

04.26 - Companionship into Brooklyn as we celebrate alchemy, creativity, and inspiration!

04.27 - To celebrate Independent Bookstore Day, several bookstores around Connecticut organized a book trail, which hundreds of booklovers participated in. Today I’m grateful for both the people who journeyed to over twenty stores in a single weekend as well as those who took the time to shop in-store and say hello. Thanks for helping me keep my job!

04.28 - An opportunity for self-care when I woke up under the weather. My co-workers rallied around me so I could take a sick day when I needed it most.

04.29 - Fresh air and the sun, despite the fact that every breath in is equal to or less then every sneeze out! Is the pollen worse than usual this year or is it just my immune system?

04.30 - In a week, I spend roughly forty hours at work and 15 hours traveling to and from work. I’m grateful that I get to go back to work today, at a job that supports my financial independence, my literary indulgences, and my self-fulfillment.

More writing soon,

Kiera