A – Z Gratitude List

In 2021, in the midst of COVID, I participated in a kindness and gratitude challenge as part of the wellness program at my office. The assignment was to write down one or more things that I am grateful for, for each letter of the alphabet. I think that I am naturally a kind person, and pretty self-aware and reflective, but we can all use concrete reminders of what we’re grateful for now and again.

And now in 2025, I am grateful that 2021 Katy created this list, because given the heartbreakingly terrible cruelty-is-the-point changes and dismantling of our democracy (not to mention the Stupid Coup’s tariffs that went into effect today, instantly tanking the markets, skyrocketing prices and likely triggering a global recession), these are the things that truly make my life meaningful. The future seems pretty bleak right now, but I can remind myself to do small things where I can to change the shittiness, and in the meantime, at least there is:

A

autumn
apples
art
air conditioning
accents

B

bathrobes
berries
books
bed

C

cats
caramel
cheese
campfires
coffee
clouds
canyons
conifers
choices

D

Doc
democracy (I mean, sort of… for now… it’s pretty shaky)

E

empathy
electric cars (except Teslas. Fuck Tesla.)

F

friendships
financial advisors
fountain pens
fog

G

giraffes
grilled cheese sandwiches
green

H

hiking
hot water
hugs
home

I

ice cream
instant pot
imagination

J

Jamieson
jeans
jellyfish

K

kindness
kittens

L

ladyfriends
lemons
Linzer cookies
letters

M

moon
maps
mindfulness
music
memories

N

notebooks
nature
nighttime

O

oxytocin
owls
oil painting

P

poetry
piñon
Plainsong
pencils
pizza
PJs
patio
paycheck

Q

quitting when i need to
quality over quantity

R

red wine
rain

S

socialism
stars
salads
sparkly things
socks
snow
salmon
sunsets

T

thunderstorms
trains
tortillas
tacos

U

uniqueness

V

vaccines
vacations
vinegar

W

women
wool
winter

X

x-rays… (there aren’t many x words)

Y

yoga
you (yes, you that is reading this, personally!)

Z

zest (from citrus)
zest (the personality trait)