These last few weeks there have been mornings when I wake up already tired. I’m waiting for the coffee to kick in, feeling a bit low on sugar, and struggling to focus on what I’m thankful for.
Alex Elle put it perfectly:
“There are days when gratitude practice feels minuscule and pointless—but I know it’s not. It is on those days that I need it the most. I know deep down that each moment I experience is such a blessing.”
It matters, even when it feels fragile, fake, or flat. Especially at that time.
Practicing Gratitude When Life Feels Overwhelming
Lately, it’s been harder than usual. A few weeks ago, Jose fell and fractured his femur. Just like that, life shifted. His doctor has advised 6 weeks of complete bedrest. Overnight, I became his caregiver.Every small task—helping him move, get comfortable, stay clean. And because we don’t have a maid, all the housework landed squarely on my shoulders too. Laundry, dishes, groceries. And of course, Lucky still needs her walks. I’ve felt stretched thin—physically, emotionally, mentally. Some nights I fall into bed and wonder how I’ll do it all again tomorrow.
Reading Mark Casey’s piece on Medium, I was struck by how he reframed gratitude not as some forced positivity but as attention. Attention to what’s here, what’s real. Not what we think should be here, not what we lost, not what we’re chasing next. Just… what is.
He says, “Gratitude is less about being thankful for things and more about seeing them.” That line stayed with me. And honestly, these days, I don’t have the time or energy to sit down and journal about gratitude. I barely have time to think a full thought without being interrupted by something that needs doing. But I do think. I do see and I do notice. I think when I’m washing the dishes. When I’m walking Lucky. When I collapse into bed and replay the day in my head. I notice tiny moments—sometimes reluctantly, sometimes purposely—because I need to.
It’s the simple things :
- The quiet of the house late at night.
- Lucky being cute because she wants a treat.
- The exact right amount of milk in my coffee.
- The bird feeder being ‘invaded’ by birds!
- Some silliness on a WhatsApp chat with friends
- Clean clothes.
- A flower blossoming in the garden.
- An old picture popping up on my phone.
- A simple offer of help from a friend.
But there are also the big things – so many of them I am grateful for.For Jose’s attitude to this setback. That’s been really inspirational for me. For love, faith, friendship, resources, access to medical health…that list goes on.
Looking Back On May
And in the middle of this, I’m remembering my quiet resolution for May: to choose to be soft. I wrote about it, really hoping it would work. Not weak, but gentle in how I approach life. Soft in how I respond to frustration. Soft with myself, especially on the days I’m stretched too thin. When things are hard, it’s easy to just tough it out and close off. But I don’t want to let my situation make me tough. I want to keep being gentle and graceful. Even now. Especially now.
I’m not trying to paint a romantic picture of this. It’s tough. It’s exhausting. But sometimes, in the blur of doing everything, I remember that even this—especially this—is part of life too. And there is grace in being here, still standing, still trying.
So if you’re in a season where gratitude feels far away, keep looking. Keep noticing. Even if it’s just one tiny thing. That’s enough. Because trying is still noticing. And noticing is still grace.
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This felt so real and grounding. Gratitude doesn’t always roar—sometimes it’s just a quiet noticing, a soft presence in the middle of the mess. Thank you for this reminder.
I have not taken to my gratitude journal to write in it intentionally in what feels like a couple of months now. I had also been forgetting to create thoughts of gratitude. Until 3 weeks back when I sat down to purposefully reflect at the small wins I had achieved in the last 5 months and wrote a blog post about them.
Noticing and appreciating tiny things matter a lot. Probably, more than big things. They can be very calming as well as empowering. It’s when we are busy climbing the career ladder that we need to do it. But ironically, that’s when we don’t find time for it.
This approach to gratitude feels so inviting to me, Corinne. Sometimes we idolize gratitude to such a level that it becomes daunting. But just “noticing” is more simple and just as effective for me. A quiet awareness when something feels good is beautiful. Hope your June can be more restful than May has been, but if not, may you find the strength and energy you need to do the things you need to!
It is touching to hear you share candidly, Corinne about things that deceptively sound ‘manageable’. I understood that to be able to notice the pleasant things – small and big, even when we are exhausted and realize that we are blessed is what the practice of gratitude is about. “And there is grace in being here…” is my favourite line!
Oh yes! There have been times I’ve felt like writing daily gratitude isn’t working—what’s the point, even? But then, that’s the whole point—pausing to notice the small things that brought joy in quiet, unexpected ways. I think that’s why I keep returning to my gratitude journal—because in that moment, I allow myself to see how I’m still surrounded by blessings, even when nothing seems alright. I will come back to read this again, Corinne.