1. Sweet things. Chocolate, kitchen counter love notes, early morning yoga, the reminder that I matter, the nice things people say to me, the way Ringo settled down and went to sleep next to me during my Wild Writing class this morning.

2. Clean water. I’m always so grateful for this, but with what’s going on in Flint, I’m even more so this week.

3. Sweet Sam. Ringo took off after a cat this weekend while Eric was trying to get them back in the house after coming home from a long hike. He ran after Ringo, and Sam just waiting on the front porch. Such a good dog.

4. Ringo Blue. How even though he was “bad” and took off after a cat, being free to chase after it was probably the best three minutes of his entire life, made him so happy. I love that about him.

5. Eric. How he ran after Ringo and brought him safely back, and didn’t kill him for it even thought he kind of wanted to. How happy he was to get our Highlander back from the shop. How cute it was that he has such an emotional attachment to it. The pizza he made last night. The love notes he leaves for me on the kitchen counter.

Bonus joy: The two people who went out of their way to tell me what it meant to them to have me around, ham and cheese bagels at Cafe Ardour, running into a friend and having her immediately hug me she was so happy to see me, the sweet kitty whose cancer might not be as bad as it could have been, those tiny donuts that are all gone now, a warm shower, clean sheets, our new bathroom (yes, still), my new car, teaching yoga, lunch with friends, getting permission even though I don’t need it, the chance to start over and begin again.