Pat Bean's blog

Aging My Way

        There were very few mornings in 2023 when I didn’t awake with thankfulness in my heart for all my many blessings. Even so, I let Thanksgiving pass by without my annual 100 things I’m thankful for list, which I’ve posted since 2010.

        2023 was a year of changes for me, and coping with those changes got in the way of a lot more than just that list. The 365 days of the past year were a needed time for reflection, of my past and on my future. We all need time like this. But when I was able to race hither and thither without a thought, I seldom took it.

        But now is my season to do so.

        Meanwhile, I’m ready to take on 2024, and I do it in the spirit of Edward Abbey, who sensibly wished for crooked, winding, challenging trails, with mountains that rose above the clouds and had amazing views.

        And since the thankfulness I feel in my heart continues to overflow, I share with you, in no particular order except as they raced through my brain, 100 things I’m thankful for.

1. Comfortable shoes.
2. A warm home on a cold day.
3. My canine companion Scamp, who keeps my life balanced.
4. Fresh, clean sheets for a good night’s sleep.
5. A granddaughter and her wife who have chosen to live near me in my old age.
6. Mother Nature and all her wonders.
7. Air conditioning to survive Tucson summers.
8. Flowers of every shade and hue.
9. A hot bath.
10.  Cream-laced coffee to start my mornings.
11.  Every single member of my large family.
12.  Road trips, although they have become fewer these days.
13. Good conversations that make me think.
14.  Competitive card games.
15.  Finally finding a primary care physician who listens to me. We’re not all alike, you know.
16.  Tye-Dye T-shirts.
17.  A Jack and Coke nightcap.
18.  Books, one of life’s greatest treasures.
19.  The view I have of the Catalina Mountains,
20.  Friends, old and new and everywhere in between.  
21. That I’m a writer, and can live life twice.
22.  A soft quilt.
23.  My addiction to bird watching.
24.  Good memories of the awesome experiences I’ve collected over 84 years.
25.  Rainbows.
26. Sunrises and sunsets.
27.  My old recliner.
28.  The tall cottonwood and oleander trees that grace my small yard.
29.  A daily call from a son.
30.  The internet and the connections and knowledge it provides me.
31.  Snail mail from a fellow wordsmith.
32.  Story Circle Network, my writing support group.
33.  Publication of my book, Travels with Maggie, about my nine years traveling this country in an RV.
34.  Art, my own and that of others.
35.  That I still have a zest for life.
36.  Learning something new.
37.  My scrapbooks and journals, which haphazardly capture snippets of my life.
38.  My rubber tree plant, which is now about 40 years old, and which has been prolific in providing its babies to others.
39.  A drawing of a cardinal which belonged to my grandmother, and is the oldest thing I own.
40.  Advil.
41.  Chocolate ice cream.
42.  New sox and underwear.
43.  Butterflies.
44.  Hummingbirds at my nectar feeder.
45.  Hugs.
46.  Kind people who care about others.
47.  That I can still drive.
48.  Soft pajamas.
49.  Pleasant surprises
50. Laughter.
51.  A good pen and journal.
52.  Audible books.
53.  A sky full of stars.
54.  Electricity and the conveniences of life.
55.  A good haircut.
56.  My wrinkles, because I earned them.
57.  The Sonoran Desert that I live in.
58.  My pansy hanging flower basket that hasn’t stopped blooming in over a year.
59.  Wind chimes.
60.  My wolf tattoo, which I got at 75.
61.  Fresh flowers on my table.
62.  Live theater.
63.  The Van Gogh exhibit I visited this past year.
64.  Hot tea.
65.  Social Security.
66.  Jigsaw puzzles
67.  That I live in a place where coyotes still howl and a Cooper’s Hawk visits my yard, only if looking for a tasty sparrow meal.
68.  Friends and loved ones who drop in unannounced – it’s a southern thing.
69.  Time alone, to reflect and think – it’s an old age thing,
70.  That I no longer feel the need to be perfect.
71.  My favorite cooking pan, especially when it is full of my fresh-cooked chicken and rice.
72.  The solar lights that brighten my yard at night.
73.  Truthful, unbiased news, and the journalists who report it.
74.  That I was born in America and have privileges as a woman that so many other women do not.
75.  The neighborhood I live in.
76.  A clean apartment, and freshly washed clothes.
77.  Care boxes from my guardian angel daughter-in-law.
78.  Ponds moisturizing cream.
79.  Christmas trees and ornaments.
80.  Spending Thanksgiving with family, this year with a daughter, three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
81.  My mother and grandmother, and all other female role models who haven’t let gender stand in the way of reaching their goals.
82.  Scamp’s groomer, because he’s not an easy dog to groom.
83.  My microwave and leftovers.
84.  Scented candles.
85.  Clean water to drink.
86.  Movies that make me both laugh and cry.
87.  Every morning I awake ready for another day,
88.  Outsmarting my computer, or other technical wonder when they get cranky. Oh, wait. I’m the one that gets cranky when they don’t work.
89.  National Parks and Forests, and bird sanctuaries and wildlife refuges.
90.  Despite its hit on my budget, that I can afford good medical insurance when so many others can’t.
91.  Overhead honking geese.
92.  Reading glasses.
93.  Scenic backroads.
94.  Polite drivers.
95.  That I’m more focused on remembering the good times than the bad ones, while continuing to live in the present.
96.  Country western and rock and roll music.
97.  Readers of my blog.
98.  Morning walks with my dog Scamp.
99.  Discovering a new author I like who has written a dozen books.
100. And finally, for still managing to believe in silver linings when things go awry.