Gratitude Friday

The last three posts took  a bit out of me to get down on paper, so I think I'll keep this one pretty short. I started off several weeks ago with the best intentions to keep one day a week for listing things that I'm grateful for to make part of my recurring practice.  I've not kept that up the way I intended, so I'll try to kick start that habit again today.

Night on the Anacostia with the USS Barry

I am grateful for my health that I enjoy today. Being relatively healthy is foundational for my walking, and the fact that I enjoy that health has facilitated my ability to see so many fantastic things over the last year. It's a blessing that I too often take for granted and is far from assured.

I'm grateful for my living arrangements. The fact that I was born here in the United States is another one of those things that I find all too easy to take for granted. If anyone should know better, I should since I've been afforded the opportunity to travel at least a little across most of the rest of the world. Africa and Central Asia were particularly eye opening experiences. We live in an incredibly wealthy and safe country compared to millions if not billions of others who can only dream of the advantages we enjoy just by the luck of the draw on where we are born.

I am grateful for winter. The cold is refreshing and it keeps the mosquitos at bay. If we're lucky we'll get at least one good snow storm to allow for some sledding. A good fast toboggan run is an experience that should not be missed if the weather makes the least move to accommodate it.

Night on the Anacostia with a Barge Crane

Finally, I'm grateful for reliable transportation, even when it is just the feet attached to the ends of my legs. In just a little over a year, I've walked a few miles north of 5000, and the things that I've seen and experienced during those travels have been luxuries of the first order.

I'm grateful for good shoes for obvious reasons.

Today was another fantastic day, and I look forward to seeing what tomorrow may bring.