I saw today the posting for this contest (Hive PH Contest). 2020 Has been such a strange year. The whole world is different nowadays. That made me thinking .... Long time thinking, ...
First of all, I'm not thankful for material things. Most of them are just objects we use. So that doesn't count for me.
Health for sure is very important. We cannot buy good health with all the money in the world. This year I had a few friends and family members who died. We couldn't even say our goodbyes, nor attending the funerals. Being 11.000 KM separated from them is also hard when you know they're not gonna make it. So this year was a rollercoaster of emotions. But thanks to a handful of friends I can keep up the positive vibe and it keeps me going on.
We can stay healthy in so many different ways. First of all, by eaten well balanced (not so easy). I'm lacking a lot of healthy ingredients here, so I started to take extra supplements. My body really needed it. I lost weight during this times and also my blood lacks a lot of things... (iron, vit B12, zinc). One month ago I finally found a reliable supplier for beef and ostrich. So my body can start to recover from the malnutrition of the last 8 months.
Since a couple of months I started a little "garden" on my balcony. Just to keep me busy but also to have some homegrown veggies and herbs. I eat a lot of sprouts. They're super healthy and very easy to grown, even indoors. You have to try it. So easy and in a couple of days you have sprouts full of vitamins and minerals. This is superfood without paying the high prices they ask in the store.
But also very important is our mental health. How do we deal with the situation? This year was a struggle for a lot of people. Dealing with the unknown, the fear of the virus, losing your job, being in lockdown, ... I saw a lot of people getting depressed by the whole situation. I'm lucky, trying to find positive in everything. Okay, it's not everyday easy. Of course I also had my bad days when my thoughts were dark and cloudy. I let that happen. I never felt ashame of having a bad day. Just give yourself the time to feel down, angry, shitty, mad at the world, ... Tomorrow is another day and then you start over again with a smile. A good friend told me this. I was struggling because one of my relatives died. She said to me: "It's okay, cry today, scream to the world that it's not fair, stamp with your feet on the floor. But tomorrow is another day and a fresh start". This was really helping me. She told me it was okay, all my feelings were allowed. That really helped me. So when you feel down, talk about it!
Another part of mental health is keep yourself busy. People ask me if I'm not getting bored after being in house quarantaine for 8 months. Oh Nooooo ... My days are too short. I started with the balcony gardening without any experience. So I needed to look up a lot of things, I've been reading so many books, I learned basic electricity (I grounded my place), started painting figurines, doing a lot of experiments in the kitchen, ...
I was on anti depression medication for ages. Since a couple of months I even could reduce my dose despite all what was happening. It's all about perspective. When the rains falls down like a storm, remember that behind the clouds the sun is waiting to enlighten your day again.
So I'm very thankful for my health, the most precious thing we have!
Thanks for reading, stay safe and positive!