Text Message
Mon, Aug 31 6:12 PM
Hey Sarah, welcome to your 30-Day Gratitude Journal. For the next month, I'll text you once a day to help you notice three things you're glad were part of your day.
Just text back whatever comes to mind. I'll save your entries and, along the way, help you notice the people and everyday things you appreciate most.
Day 1. Tue, Sep 1 7:00 PM
Name three things that made today better - people, moments, comforts, conveniences, or anything else.
Tue, Sep 1 7:22 PM
Reply: Leo took a real nap. Leftover enchiladas so no cooking. Dan took the trash out without me asking
45 Book Summaries replied: A real nap, no cooking and a trash run you didn't have to ask for. That's an evening with a little extra room in it.
Day 2. Wed, Sep 2 7:00 PM
Name three things you love about the people you share your everyday life with.
Wed, Sep 2 7:18 PM
Reply: Dan brings me coffee every morning. Maya reads to Leo on the couch. Leo yells mama the second he wakes up
45 Book Summaries replied: There's a lot to love in those everyday routines.
Day 3. Thu, Sep 3 7:00 PM
What are three things you appreciate about this stage of your life?
Fri, Sep 4 6:52 AM
Reply: Bedtime stories while they still want them. Our little house. Living 10 min from my mom
45 Book Summaries replied: Your list says a lot about what you like in a home: time with your kids, a place you love, and your mom nearby.
Day 4. Fri, Sep 4 7:00 PM
What are three things you're glad you don't have to figure out or handle anymore?
Fri, Sep 4 8:05 PM
Reply: Diapers for Maya. Her car seat buckles too, she does her own now. Our old landlord
45 Book Summaries replied: Maya doing her own buckles is a freedom you get back every single car ride. Being done with the old landlord sounds pretty good too.
Day 5. Sat, Sep 5 7:00 PM
What are three things that went right today?
Sat, Sep 5 9:12 PM
Reply: Farmers market before it got hot. Leo ate a whole peach. Nobody cried at bedtime
45 Book Summaries replied: You beat the heat, Leo finished a whole peach and bedtime went down with no tears. Saturday went your way.
Day 6. Sun, Sep 6 7:00 PM
Name three things you got to do today instead of had to do.
Sun, Sep 6 8:31 PM
Reply: Got to sleep in. Got to take the kids to the pool. Got to read on the porch till dark
45 Book Summaries replied: You had some time to yourself and some time with the kids. It's nice when a day has room for both.
Day 7. Mon, Sep 7 7:00 PM
What are three things your body helped you do today?
Mon, Sep 7 7:35 PM
Reply: Carried Leo up the big hill at the park. Got the patio umbrella open by myself. Stayed awake for the end of the movie
45 Book Summaries replied: Carrying Leo up a hill and wrestling a patio umbrella alone is real work. Staying awake for the end of the movie counts too.
Hey Sarah, your week, added up: Dan, Maya and Leo turned up in most of your entries, along with small breaks like sleeping in and a dinner you didn't have to cook. Your good stuff this week came from the ordinary hours at home.
Day 8. Tue, Sep 8 7:00 PM
Name three things that helped you recharge or feel more like yourself recently.
Tue, Sep 8 9:48 PM
Reply: Hot shower after the kids were down. Coffee with Jess on Saturday. Finishing my book on the porch
45 Book Summaries replied: A hot shower, coffee with Jess and the last pages of your book. Each one was a little time that was just yours.
Day 9. Wed, Sep 9 7:00 PM
What are three things you enjoyed today that cost nothing?
Wed, Sep 9 7:44 PM
Reply: Walk around the block after dinner. Leo laughing at the dog next door. The sunset from the kitchen window
45 Book Summaries replied: Leo's on your list again, this time laughing at the dog next door. You're collecting some lovely little details about him here.
Day 10. Thu, Sep 10 7:00 PM
Name three everyday things that saved you time or effort today.
Thu, Sep 10 7:15 PM
Reply: The dishwasher. Grocery pickup. My mom keeping Leo for the morning
45 Book Summaries replied: The dishwasher, grocery pickup and a morning with your mom on Leo duty. Each one handed you back a piece of your day.
Day 11. Fri, Sep 11 7:00 PM
What are three things you once hoped for that are now part of your life?
Sat, Sep 12 8:40 AM
Reply: Being a mom. A yard with a tree big enough for a swing. A husband who cooks on Fridays
45 Book Summaries replied: Some of those hopes were big and some were small, and now they're all just part of a regular week. Friday dinners from Dan included.
Day 12. Sat, Sep 12 7:00 PM
Name three places near you connected to good memories.
Sat, Sep 12 8:55 PM
Reply: The taco truck where Dan and I had our first date. The story room at the library. My mom's kitchen
45 Book Summaries replied: A first date at a taco truck is a great thing to drive past. The story room and your mom's kitchen sound like places still making new memories.
Day 13. Sun, Sep 13 7:00 PM
What are three things you know because someone took the time to teach you?
Sun, Sep 13 9:05 PM
Reply: How to make my grandma's tortillas. How to change a tire (thanks Dad). How to pray when I don't know what to say
45 Book Summaries replied: Your grandma's tortillas are a recipe and a memory of her in one, and you get both every time you make them.
Day 14. Mon, Sep 14 7:00 PM
Looking back on this week, what are three moments you would gladly experience again?
Mon, Sep 14 7:50 PM
Reply: Maya reading Leo the same book 4 times in a row. Saturday pancakes. Dan and me on the porch after bedtime
45 Book Summaries replied: Four times through the same book is real big sister love. Pancakes and a quiet porch after bedtime round out a good week.
Hey Sarah, your week, added up: it kept coming back to places and the people in them, your mom's kitchen, the porch with Dan, the taco truck from your first date. A lot of it was handed down too, from your grandma's tortillas to your dad's tire lesson.
Day 15. Tue, Sep 15 7:00 PM
Name three parts of your life you feel fortunate to count on.
Tue, Sep 15 8:14 PM
Reply: Dan. My mom picking up every single time I call. A paycheck that shows up on the 15th
45 Book Summaries replied: Dan, your mom and payday, all three right on time. That's a solid set of things to lean on.
Day 16. Wed, Sep 16 7:00 PM
Name three things you are glad you have to look forward to.
Wed, Sep 16 9:30 PM
Reply: Maya's class trip to the pumpkin patch. My sister visiting in October. The first cold morning
45 Book Summaries replied: A pumpkin patch, your sister in town and the first cold morning. Fall is lined up nicely.
Day 17. Thu, Sep 17 7:00 PM
What are three things that recently turned out better than you expected?
Thu, Sep 17 7:26 PM
Reply: Maya's first week at the new school. The dentist, no cavities! Dan's work trip got cut short
45 Book Summaries replied: That's a lot to feel relieved and happy about in one week.
Day 18. Fri, Sep 18 7:00 PM
Name three routines that quietly make your life better.
Fri, Sep 18 7:05 PM
Reply: Friday pizza night. Making lunches the night before. Everybody saying one good thing at dinner
45 Book Summaries replied: Pizza on Fridays, lunches packed the night before and a good thing from everyone at dinner. Those keep the whole week running smoother.
Day 19. Sat, Sep 19 7:00 PM
Look around you. What are three things within reach that you are glad to have?
Sat, Sep 19 8:22 PM
Reply: The soft blanket on the couch. Leo's scribble drawing on the fridge. An ice cold Topo Chico
45 Book Summaries replied: A soft blanket, a cold drink and Leo's art in view. That couch sounds like a good place to be tonight.
Day 20. Sun, Sep 20 7:00 PM
Name three acts of kindness you have received recently.
Sun, Sep 20 7:40 PM
Reply: Our neighbor brought our trash cans in. A lady let me skip the line with a screaming Leo. My mom dropped off soup when I had a cold
45 Book Summaries replied: Trash cans brought in, a spot at the front of the line and soup when you were sick. People were looking out for you this week.
Day 21. Mon, Sep 21 7:00 PM
What are three things that felt easier because you did not have to do them alone?
Mon, Sep 21 9:02 PM
Reply: Tag teaming bedtime with Dan. Maya's science project with my mom's help. Getting through this cold
45 Book Summaries replied: Dan on bedtime, your mom on the science project and backup through the whole cold. You had good help all week.
Hey Sarah, your week, added up: your mom showed up again and again, with soup, every phone call and help on Maya's science project. Between her, Dan and a few kind neighbors, this was a week of being looked after.
Day 22. Tue, Sep 22 7:00 PM
Name three pleasant things you noticed today through any of your senses.
Wed, Sep 23 7:10 AM
Reply: Rain on the roof all afternoon. Fresh bread at the store. Leo's hair after his bath
45 Book Summaries replied: Rain on the roof and fresh bread make a pretty lovely start to a list. Leo fresh out of the bath is a sweet way to finish it.
Day 23. Wed, Sep 23 7:00 PM
Name three small wins you haven't given yourself enough credit for.
Wed, Sep 23 8:48 PM
Reply: Got Leo to the doctor and still made my 10am meeting. Kept the plants alive. Didn't yell during homework
45 Book Summaries replied: The doctor and a meeting before lunch, plants still green and a calm homework hour. All three deserve more credit than they get.
Day 24. Thu, Sep 24 7:00 PM
Name three moments of connection you have appreciated recently.
Thu, Sep 24 7:31 PM
Reply: Long call with my sister. Maya grabbing my hand in the parking lot without me asking. Dan texting me a dumb meme at work
45 Book Summaries replied: Maya reaching for your hand on her own is the kind of thing that sticks. A long call and a dumb meme are good company too.
Day 25. Fri, Sep 25 7:00 PM
Name three everyday problems you are grateful you didn't have today.
Sat, Sep 26 7:55 AM
Reply: No traffic on the way to school. The car started. Nobody threw up
45 Book Summaries replied: No traffic, a car that started and nobody sick. Friday stayed delightfully boring.
Day 26. Sat, Sep 26 7:00 PM
Name three familiar things that make you feel at home.
Sat, Sep 26 9:10 PM
Reply: Dan's music playing in the garage. The smell of tortillas on the comal. Leo's little shoes by the door
45 Book Summaries replied: The tortillas are back on your list, this time just the smell of them on the comal. Add Dan's music and Leo's shoes and that's home all over.
Day 27. Sun, Sep 27 7:00 PM
What are three opportunities you are grateful to have right now?
Sun, Sep 27 8:30 PM
Reply: Working from home two days a week. Being close enough to see my mom every week. Maya's new school
45 Book Summaries replied: Time at home, time with your mom and a fresh start for Maya. All three are working in your favor right now.
Day 28. Mon, Sep 28 7:00 PM
Name three ways your life feels rich that have nothing to do with money.
Mon, Sep 28 7:44 PM
Reply: A loud dinner table. Friends who show up. Kids who still want to cuddle
45 Book Summaries replied: A loud table, friends who show up and kids who still want to cuddle. That's a lot of riches under one roof.
Hey Sarah, your week, added up: the people closest to you were everywhere, from Maya's hand in the parking lot to Dan's music in the garage. Even the quiet days made the list, like a car that started and a morning with no traffic.
Day 29. Tue, Sep 29 7:00 PM
Name three things that made you laugh or feel lighter recently.
Tue, Sep 29 8:03 PM
Reply: Maya's knock knock jokes that make zero sense. Dan dancing badly in the kitchen. Finally finishing the laundry mountain
45 Book Summaries replied: Maya's jokes make zero sense and still make you laugh. I'd say they're doing their job.
Day 30. Wed, Sep 30 7:00 PM
Looking back over the month, what are three things you want to remember and appreciate?
Wed, Sep 30 8:20 PM
Reply: How often Leo made the list. How much my mom does for us. That most of the good stuff this month was really small
45 Book Summaries replied: Leo and your mom earned their spots many times over, and the small stuff turned out to be most of it.
Hey Sarah, that's 30 days. Dan, Maya, Leo and your mom ran through almost every week, along with the porch, the kitchen and plenty of ordinary evenings at home. Your month was full of people you love and small moments that turned out to matter.
Your Gratitude Journal is done. You kept showing up, and the showing up was the whole practice. Want another 30 days? GRATITUDE is all you have to text.