This morning I heard Madeleine at 7:18. She sleeps through the night now, and I love those long hours of sleep as much as I miss the quiet minutes in the dark nursing her. I went in to get her up, open the windows and seeing her chubby cheeked grins in the crib, so thankful to begin a Thanksgiving day with this baby girl. While I nursed her, I read an article in the New York Times, where they asked readers to share why they were thankful this year in 6 words. Six words. A whole year of grief and loss and surprise and change and unprecedented circumstances that nevertheless gave space for thanks in six little words. I loved reading the ways that people found to be thankful in 2020, in spite of 2020, because of 2020.

And because parenting three tiny people, working remotely with little childcare, and like, being a person who still has to get groceries and do the laundry and shower and stuff has left me incapable of stringing many words together anyways – distilling the joys of this year in few words seems perfect to me. Here they are, my series of short thanks when I look back on this much maligned year.

On Thanksgiving 2020, I am overcome with gratitude for –

James home for dinner most nights.

Kids too young for distance learning.

Newborn with me, rarely a sitter.

Starting every day with a walk.

Saving grace of house and yard.

Quarantine pod that keeps us social.

Fewer commitments, canceled plans, more time.

Fire pit, espresso machine, stretchy pants.

Distanced fireside hangouts after kids asleep.

Grace upon grace upon grace, together.

Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you feel gratitude for all the little blessings mixed in with trials of the past year. Because ultimately, what I am most thankful for this year is also what made it so hard so often:

Every day we spent all together.