Sometimes I find it difficult to find gratitude for the lovely state in which I reside. Sure, it's pretty easy to love Michigan in the middle of summer, especially if I happen to be, say, hanging out on a beach on the shores of one of our majestic Great Lakes. Other times, like a first day of spring that feels like the dead of winter, I have to dig a little deeper. Or a lot deeper.
But, this is where I live, and it's probably going to be where I continue to live for a long time to come. So I'm going to focus a little on being thankful instead of wishing I lived somewhere else. Somewhere warmer. Anyway.
What am I thankful for in Michigan?
The green. And the water. Green is everywhere, even in the winter with the Evergreen trees. And you can't go far with finding water. In my city, there is a large (but not quite Great) lake, and we are just a short drive to Lake Huron. I have to admit that I love being close to the water. I wish I was closer to a beach, but like I said, Lake Huron's not far, along with its beaches.
The seasons. I'm not one to gush over how much I just adore the change of seasons. I'm usually not a fan of any change that involves cooler weather. But when spring comes, and the snow starts melting and the flowers start blooming and the breeze is suddenly comfortable and a little warm instead of arctic. Driving along with your windows down and smelling the clean, fresh air...And even in the fall, although it's getting colder and one step closer to the dreaded winter, the leaves change and it really is beautiful here. Especially when we get an Indian Summer, and we can enjoy the fall colors with temperatures in the 70s or even 80s. Now that is nice.
It's not so bad living in the same city where my maternal grandmother grew up. It's kind of cool driving along and wondering if this or that was a place she was when she was a child or a teenager. My whole family has been in Michigan for generations, and I love being so close to that history.
There is a lot to do and see in Michigan. We are lucky enough to have the rustic Upper Peninsula, with its waterfalls and forests and lakes, and Up North, where we Michiganders go to relax and re-connect with nature. I am grateful that we have Chris's dad's place to go in northern Michigan to disconnect digitally. I'm grateful that we have his pool, and Chris's mom's private park and pool, and family close by to spend time with our kids and help us when we need it.
I'm grateful that I can take my kids to places I went when I was a kid. I'm glad that my kids have been able to grow up knowing my aunts and uncles and cousins because we live near so many of them.
Now, that wasn't so hard. I could probably even think of more things, like that we seem to live in a bubble protecting us from major natural disasters. That's something to be grateful for too!
What are you thankful for this week? What are your favorite things about your home state, whether that happens to be Michigan or someplace else?
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