What ordinary thing will you never take for granted

[kannnet96]

Health is a given but besides that

For me is a warm comfortable bed. Wasn't always something I had as a child so now every night no matter what else is going on in my life I remind myself to be grateful for it. It puts things in perspective.

Living in an age when I don't have to stay shackled to an unsuitable man. My independence means everything

The beauty, safety and kindness of Britain. I know we can all whinge but compared to many, many countries we are so lucky.

My home. After a horrific marriage break up where my ex's parents owned the property and I had to leave due to his shitty behaviour and cheating.
I am so grateful to have a roof over my head and all of my property out of storage.
I had to stay with parents for a while and never thought I would recover from the breakup.
I'm much happier now.

This.

My washing machine.
Our washing machine broke and we couldn’t afford to replace it or take washing to the launderette so it was like I stepped back into the Victorian era for a whole year. When we got our new washing machine after that time it felt like a luxury. I will never take it for granted again!

Feeling safe at home. I spent my childhood and some of my young adulthood walking on eggshells in fear and not relaxing in my own home.

Freedom. I had a rough time in my mid teens, one parent died, the other was in hospital and I was taken into care for several months. I was sick with worry it would happen again and the relief on my 18th birthday knowing I was safe from the social workers, well I can't put it into words.

Specs. What a fantastic invention.

My adult DC's good relationship with each other - they could have squabbled for Britain when they were younger.

Having a DH who isn't interested in watching football/cricket/rugby.

My house. It's quite dated but a good size in a nice area.

Gas central heating - I know I know, but it's so efficient.

My lovely friends.

Indoor taps. Especially the ones that produce hot water.

In my childhood (in UK) there was no plumbing whatever in our council house. There were five of us then. Every single drop of water had to be fetched (cold) in buckets from a communal pump (worked by hand) shared with neighbours . That was my job... and when you'd heated and used it (multiple times) to cook, clean, wash people or clothes, the dirty water had to be carried out again. There was no flush lav, just a bucket in an outhouse. Waste water, and lav bucket, were emptied in the highly productive garden.

My skinny wiry little grandmother raised 7 children there. She did all the laundry by hand. I doubt she ever ran a hot bath or had a shower in her life and when I turn on a tap, cold or hot, I often think of her and remember she never did.

1. Dishwasher
2. Mortgage free home with plenty of storage, lovely garden and stream
3. Quiet, respectful but unbelievably helpful neighbours who assist when DH requires an ambulance - have helped pick him up when ambulance has been delayed and happily interrupted their supper
4. Free at point of delivery healthcare system/ disability care/ provision of disability equipment. No ‘judgement’ we are both migrants and he was only healthy for ten years after gaining residency and free healthcare. I get the feeling had we immigrated to the UK there would be judgement about how much DH costs in terms of health - which is a fortune.
5. Produce that just grows in the garden with minimal intervention.
6. Spaniels ( especially English Springers) all dogs are great but spaniels are a breed to be very grateful for, splodgy muddy paws less so, but spaniels are amazing
7. Neighbours’ cat who brings joy when he comes to visit and graciously allows me to admire/ stroke him whilst ensuring the orchard/vegetable area remains mouse free, lovely lovely moggy that he is.
8. Fee free university with very minimal student loan, paid for PGCE with a maintenance grant of £600 per month ( when I trained, teachers in my area were sought after and given a further £4000 after successfully completing our NQT year):

We have had a few curveballs but a lot to be very thankful for

Having disposable income. I went through a rough patch in my mid 20s and ended up in emergency accommodation with my 2 year old. I couldn't afford more than £8 a week on food for both of us and there was no such things as days outs, new clothes, hair cuts etc. Now I am in a very different situation, I am not rich, but I spend my money and have life experiences like travelling, and trips to the zoo, and new clothes, nice wine. I don't live a life of luxury but just being able to do things and live a rich life of experiences is an amazing feeling.

In winter, a warm house.

Clean, cold water out of the tap - particularly having lived in a country where it came out of the tap hot and brown, and I had to a) filter it, b) boil it, and c) then keep it in the fridge.

Especially just now, a mild temperate climate, and rain!

Me too. I lost both after having a symptomless bout of Covid and it was miserable.

Also, rain. I lived in the ME for a couple of years and loathed the dryness— it only rained properly twice that whole time. God, I hated that samey climate. It makes me realise I love variety, seasons, dampness in the air, the little chill of autumn mornings etc etc. I will never take drizzle for granted again.

Modern medicine. It's only since about 1950 that doctors have been able to prolong life and cure previously fatal conditions, before that it was trying to make sure you died in as little pain as possible.

Education and contraception for women.

Financial independence and stability.

Plus all of the above about clean water and energy.

Being able to walk. I had a very bad slipped disc for a few years which caused bad back pain but manageable. All of a sudden it got worse and I was in agony with awful sciatica and not able to walk or even stand up straight. I literally had to drag myself holding onto the walls to even get to the bathroom. It was like that for 6 months until I had surgery on it. I had 2 toddlers at the time and could barely look after them, couldn’t take them out anywhere, couldn’t even walk 2 mins to the shop, it was a horrible, horrible time. I used to watch people from the window or when I was in the car just walking like it was the easiest thing in the world and thinking how you just take it for granted until you can’t.

My surgery was 2.5 years ago now and I’ve recovered pretty well. Some lasting damage and pain but I can walk anywhere I want. Literally every day when I am walking around outside I am so thankful I can walk again. I really, really appreciate it.

Running hot water, heaters and electricity at the flick of a switch. Had none of these as a child (traveller family - we had a petrol generator for electric which was rationed, a wood burner for heat and boiled kettles on the wood burner for washing etc) and then spent several years as a young adult in a house which did have electric but no hot water and no heating.

Oh and a flushing toilet! Portapotties are fine for a weekend camping, but not so much fun when your whole family uses it long term and one of your childhood chores is to empty the disgusting thing 😩

Also, as others have said, living in an time when despite being female, uneducated and from a very poor background (as well as dealing with anti-traveller prejudice) I have been able to progress to being completely financially independent and successful in a professional career. Obviously we still have a way to go, but that would have been pretty much unthinkable in my mum's era!

In amongst all the serious things, cheese.

When I was starting out in adulthood, I would stand at the cheese counter, longing for the day I could buy any amount of any cheese I wanted, instead of having to grate cheap cheddar to make it go further. I never take decent cheese for granted.

More seriously, having been crippled and now fixed through the wonders of our health system, I never take movement and health for granted. The fact that I can walk, run, swim, climb, dance, makes me happy every day.

Just having the health to be able to go out for walks, see family and friends. There have been times I didn’t have that. I haven’t forgotten what that was like.

Having a kind, generous, thoughtful and loving husband. I didn't meet him until my late 30s and thought I was always going to be alone. Now I know what it feels like to really love, and to be loved.

Wonderful, boring techtonic stability.

Or tectonic, even.

Yes, my healthy body and fitness. I saw my dad go from looking incredibly fit and well - going to the gym three times a week and walking the dog for hours a day to only being able to walk a few steps, and painfully, in a relatively short space of time in his mid 70s- angina, osteoporosis then a massive heart attack and living with heart failure.

Going out, socialising, travelling, doing anything lovely with crowds of people still makes me slightly emotional sometimes thinking how it all stopped overnight not long ago.

A safe, loving, happy marriage.

Health and an able body. I am grateful every single day that passes where I can walk, talk and feel no pain. It is the greatest privilege

I know you said health is a given, but for me that's a massive one and I am realising it more and more.

The other big one for me is friends. I love my family but have never connected with them all that well on a personality level, so having friends and a partner who are on my wavelength and genuinely love me is so important. I will never take that for granted.