“The more grateful I am, the more beauty I see.” – Mary Davis

 

48 Things I am Grateful For!

 

 

1. First and foremost I am utterly grateful to Corrine for coming up with this fabulous prompt (And a few more. Watch out for this space!), a wrap up to December 2020. 
2. To be given the opportunity to spend Forty-eight gratifying, challenging, blessed and memorable years on planet Earth.
3. To be surrounded by the most incredible, bad-ass and loving family, anyone could ever ask for. Yes, I am biased and they are mine! 😉
4. Friends who turned into family, and who have had my back always and who have made this journey so much more worthwhile and fun. You know who you are!
5. My furry girls, Mishka and Laila for being my source of unlimited joy and all my other furry friends who give me a chance to watch out for them. 
6. Soka Gakkai Buddhism, for guiding me and showing me the path to Buddha’s land. And reiterating the invaluable power of prayers and compassion for all. 
7. My mentor(Sensei), Daisaku Ikeda for being my guiding light. 
8. My blog Natasha Musing, my cosy den where I heal and experience bliss through the power of my written words. And the visitors and friends from blogosphere who enrich this space further with their words and presence.
9. A home full of plants. I am so very grateful each day to our balconies that over flow with the presence of various varities of flora, which endear us with their blooms, greenery and fresh food produce.
10. A roof above my head, hot, delicious meals prepared with love, every day. 
11. A cosy bed, blanket and pillow to curl upto.
12. My unlimited collection of books and afternoons and nights spent buried in them.
13. Our home-helps who ensure smooth-running of our home, while we are busy at work.
14. The treasured gifts of nature and wilderness. The unlimited beauty of birds, trees, and wildlife that surround us.
15. Birding weekends with my 12 year-old wildlife enthusiast and family.
16. My job as a Content Curator with Pugdundee Safaris, a wildlife and eco-tourism company.
17. Our wildlife experiences with the wildlife of Central India and Tanzania.
18. Yoga that surrounds me with calm, good health and flexibility.
19. Recently getting the blessed opportunity to travel to my birth place and the Himalayas in Uttarakhand, initially with family, and then going solo for 6-days in the lap of pristine wilderness and nature. 
20. Surviving Covid-19 with minimum symptoms and my immediate family being safe.
21. Enjoying my solitude and silences during the two weeks of quarantine, and making the best of that time by reading, chanting, watching inspirational videos and fun flicks and series on Netflix.
22. The power of prayers and manifestation translating to reality and good fortune.
23. My 2020 Ink Bucket planner. (Now I await the 2021 planner, again from Ink Bucket).
24. Our old X’mas tree from the Philippines that lasted us 14 years! And the new one we got yesterday. 
25. Water. Yes, I love drinking gallons of water every day. And taking refreshing baths(mind you! Bucket baths). Water is indeed our lifeline, in more ways than one.
26. The purple passion flowers that bloomed unfettered last monsoons, in our balcony. 
27. My phone, for helping me keep in touch with the world and the phone camera for its wonderful shots.
28. The table by the window where I work these days. Dotted with greens this space gets ample dose of sunshine  
29. The winter sun and the pollution free days, when one can just toast and lounge outdoors.
30. The clean air and awe-inspiring skies that we were gifted with during the lockdown phase of this pandemic.
31. Well made coffee and tea.
32. All our past holidays which are stored in the treasure trove of my memories. 
33. The books I wrote. Travel Epiphanies, April Anecdotes and this year a short story in Autumn Gales, an anthology. 
34. Indian food and every South-Asian cuisine.
35. The yummy meals Shantana cooks for us every day.
36. My Parker, fountain pen which I have now had for 4 years.
37. Though I’ve said family already but I think it would be good to add that I am very grateful to my two lovely daughters, who carry with them much wisdom, love and compassion and teach me so much, every single day.
38. My father, who is my idol and who knows how to live life kingsize.
39. The DH, Alok for teaching me the value of unspoken words, and for being my rock-solid best friend. 
40. In-laws who are a fitting image of kindness, love and compassion.
41. The farmers who toil hard to make sure fresh-food produce lands up at our homes everyday.
42. The security guards and the staff in our condo who man the safety and smooth running of the place.
43. The medical fraternity for toiling the hardest this year, putting their lives at stake.
44. My Mac book which drives me to work and blog every morning.
45. Myself. Yes, I am truly grateful to myself for growing every single day and striving to make the most of this life, come what may. For being work in progress, yet knowing I’ve come a long, long way in the last 48 years. 
46. Netflix. Nopes, I wouldn’t have said this even two-months back! Yes, I was never a screen/Netflix person, but the pandemic has taught me how entertaining and reliable some TV series can be. And that they can also teach a lesson or two, apart from just entertaining. 
47. Art and music. They are my nourishing food for the soul.
48. And last but not the least, I am grateful to all those who are reading this post, and had the patience to go through this long list of 48 points. Bless you. <3

 

Although I am supposed to list just 48 things, I’m wrapping up with fifty. I also feel my gratitude list is endless and there is a lot more to be grateful for. In fact during the course of my day I give gratitude multiple times. This may includes the road I drive or walk on, the people who helped build that road, the trees that give us oxygen to breathe and ample doses of verdure etc. Quite an endless list indeed.

 

 

Here are the last two things of this list, that I am grateful for:

49. Kindness– I am blessed to be surrounded by kind-hearted people. This truly is a huge blessing. I have seen kindness flow endlessly during this pandemic. It is so heartening to know that people do care, despite the differences. 

50. Last but not the least, I’m so very grateful for good health. I’ve had health hiccups a few times this year, yet come out of it unscathed. A lesson and reality check, to never take our health for granted. The old proverb indeed holds true, “Health is wealth.” 

 

 

 

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I’m linking up with Corinne for her prompt: …Things I am Grateful For.

And Trent’s Weekly Smiles.