Gratitude at Altitude
I hope you’re somewhere where the leaves have started turning. This weekend my husband, Bill, and I spent a most glorious weekend in Aspen, Colorado. We luxuriated at Hotel Jerome, an Auberge Resorts Collection. Our room came with a mountain view filled with golden aspens and evergreens. The contrast was breathtaking.
Bill has dreamed of staying at Hotel Jerome since he first had cocktails in their bar 20 years ago. As an anniversary surprise, I made reservations for the weekend. This was the last weekend before mud season, and the town was buzzing with leaf peepers and locals.
This was the last weekend for the local farmers' market; the stands were filled with an abundance of marigolds, sunflowers, dahlias, and pumpkins. It reminded me of the first time we went to Tuscany in the fall. It brought back sweet memories now mixed with new memories and gratitude.
This is a perfect segue to share with you my most cherished practice, and that is gratitude. I've made it a practice since the 90s when I saw Sarah Ban Breathnach, author Simple Abundance, on The Oprah show. That book changed the way I viewed life. I've been a convert ever since, but I must admit I have slacked off as of late. But after spending this wonderful anniversary weekend with the most perfect man for me, I realized I needed to start my journal again.
Last night I wrote about how renewed I’d felt breathing the crisp mountain air and sipping the perfect martini served shaken, not stirred, with olives stuffed with blue cheese. I wrote about simple pleasures like choosing the perfect feather for my hat at Kemo Sabe, one of Aspen’s high-end western apparel stores, perusing my NEW favorite consignment shop, Susie’s Limited. Oh, and I almost forgot, the Aspen Goodwill where Bill found some decanters for $2 dollars each to add to his barware collection.
I like to write down five things I'm grateful for each day. To keep it fresh and meaningful, I don’t just write that I am grateful for my health, but I am grateful that the cough I have is just an allergy and not COVID, or I'm grateful, not just that my dog got a good vet report, but I am grateful that although she is terminally ill that we will still have her this Christmas.
I consider gratitude to be a necessity in living a better life. It calls to attention what we can’t let slide and see as insignificant and go unnoticed. I like to jot down things I am grateful for at night as part of my bedtime ritual. I like to savor each memory of the day with light, goodness, and joy. It gives me peace as I shut off the light and snuggle up to the dog and Bill, take the TV control out of his hand and watch him has he quietly snores. I am grateful for his snoring because I know my 76-year-old husband is still alive and I get to share another day with him tomorrow.
Enjoy your life and live it with a spirit of a gladness and gratitude. It’s never too late to start.
