I really appreciate my life generally. I think sometimes of starting threads like these, but I fear doing it in case I get jumped on for boasting! Alongside some phenomenal luck, I have also been able to make some decisions that made life better.
About 15 years ago, my DH and I were both really suffering under various aspects of dissatisfaction with life. We were talking about it, and we said that we don't know what the changes are going to be, but by this time next year things will be better. We aren't religious, it wasn't a prayer, it just seemed to be a mindset shift that lifted us up and out of the difficulties, to be able to problem solve and be open to new ideas. We ended up leaving where we'd both lived for about 20 years, to a place we'd never heard of and didn't know anyone.
Everything about where we live now is so suited to us. We left noisy, dirty, cramped chaos, and moved to a spacious, airy, leafy place where the streets are dark and quiet at night, the dawn chorus is spectacular, we have 3 AONB around us, and the pace of town life is gentler. The little town is lovely, we've made proper friends with neighbours, but also generally know everyone in the neighbourhood and some on surrounding streets by name and to say hello to or stop and chat with. We are friends with the postie, know lots of the shop keepers well enough to have a good chat with. I have joked that it's like living on the set of a children's programme because it's so idyllic.
Over the years we've decorated the house in ways that I'd never previously invested, but had always admired, and everything is a joy for me to look at, and the front and back gardens are magical things of beauty thanks to my DH's skills.
Although the cost of living continuously rising is anxiety provoking, our life together has simplified massively since the pandemic, so we're ok so far. I worry about it a little bit, but I can also see how we could tighten our belts - we stopped buying fresh salmon a couple of years ago, but aren't yet living mostly off lentils - and I love lentils, so that won't be a hardship if it comes to that!
In this moment in time, all my family are well, that's not always the case, so this is a good moment to catch our breaths. My job is good. There's so much that makes me happy.