Celebrating The Ordinary: A Gratitude Log

My happy face, my happy place. What a gorgeous day today! So hot and sunny with a lovely cool breeze… I just love British summers! And today I celebrate with colour. I even mismatched my earrings on purpose, they match my mood though!

Today I enjoyed a few hours at the desk with all my pens – lettering and colouring. I don’t usually sit at the desk, and I won’t usually sit there very long either, but it’s been a blessing today as it was showered in direct sunlight for most of the day. Vitamin D please! Hot! Hot! Hot!

Since I got sick with ME/CFS I have been consciously finding things daily to celebrate and have found that most of the things that I celebrate are probably very ordinary things to a healthy person. But living with a chronic illness changed my perspective. The ordinary requires so much more effort now, that if achieved it is a victory to be celebrated!

Yesterday I cooked and I also did some painting for a little while, it wasn’t a great day for me. Today I will shower! Small things. Ordinary things. Victories!

Time for some bed rest now though, I’m utterly exhausted, but oh so happy!

Grateful I can still draw and colour and am mobile. Grateful for this quiet little flat with my very own patio. Grateful for those friends who reach out and those who pray. Grateful for leftovers for dinner tonight. No cooking! Grateful for technology that keeps me in contact with loved ones far away. Grateful that 2 years ago today my sister gave her life to Jesus and was baptised.

Note: a version of this was first published on Facebook or Instagram. Although this website was created quite a bit later, I wanted to have my whole chronic illness story in one place, so I have transferred it here and backdated it.

Thank you for stopping by. Hugs, Char xx

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email chronically hopeful char at gmail dot com

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Chronically Hopeful
Chronically Hopeful

Char was born and raised in South Africa, but has been settled in Europe for over 20 years. She's passionate about finding ways to live well, despite chronic illness.

Apart from blogging, she enjoys art, cooking, reading, gardening, gaming and learning new things. She speaks English, Italian and Afrikaans fluently and is slowly learning French too.

She used to be a teacher, but has been housebound with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis since 2015. Since then, she's focused on spending the little energy and strength she has each day on the people and activities she loves. Finding joy in the little things and celebrating the ordinary.

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