Count Your Blessings

November 10, 2024

Now that it’s November, I’ve been listening to my pre-Thanksgiving Christmas music, which includes subtle versions of Christmas songs and some good old-fashioned hymns. The song Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep has been striking a chord with me this year. You know the one?

When I’m worried

And I can’t sleep

I count my blessings

Instead of sheep

And I fall asleep

Counting my blessings

Such a goodie! I haven’t been sleeping all that well lately. Before bed I often think of all sorts of things that are out of my control, and way far in the future, and it just gets overwhelming! And finding a giant spider in my bed one night this week did not help! So, as I’ve been lying in bed trying to get calm and comfortable, I’ve been counting my blessings.

How lucky am I that I get to wake up every morning and have a hot cup of coffee? How lucky am I that I’m able to run? How lucky am I to call my grandma on the phone, or grab a drink with friends, or make a yummy dinner, or read a good book? I’m blessed!

Sometimes when things are happening around the world or in my world, I forget to soak up the present moment, but this week as I’ve been trying to count my blessings and think of all I’m thankful for.

Today I woke up and had one of those, “oh my gosh, I live in Italy!” moments (I had a few of those this week actually, especially Friday when we went on a field trip to a winery started by the first king of Italy and there was a whole Maserati event going on on the grounds while we were touring the estate... it was wild). This morning, I got out of bed, got dressed, and headed to a café for a cornetto con crema and cappuccino. There’s one café in town that I love going to on Sunday mornings, because there are always four or so tables of old men chatting and reading the newspaper and three or so tables of old women gossiping about who knows what. It’s some of the best people watching in town! I read and did a crossword while eating my breakfast then putzed on over to the grocery store before it closed at 1 and stocked up on ingredients for a pot of Sunday Soup. I made Zuppa Toscana and had a cozy day in, reading The Hobbit and watching Beauty and the Beast. Ruby joined me for dinner and wine, and it was just the sweetest cozy Italian day!

This whole week was actually pretty sweet in the sense that there was good and bad and busyness and rest and tears and laughter and loneliness and good times with friends. And isn’t that what you want in a week? A little bit of all of it to remind you that this is life, and you’re here now, for such a time as this, and you need to make the most of it?

I know this week was a tough one for many people, but there’s always something to be grateful for. So!! If you’re worried, and you can’t sleep, count your blessings instead of sheep, and you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings. Actually, even if you're not worried, and you can sleep, count your blessings.