Gratitude should surround us but sometimes, it gets lost. It isn’t always easy to find, or it is hard to see that gratitude doesn’t have to be big or flashy. Something as simple as being thankful or appreciative for the sunrise or a hot meal is a way to see gratitude in our everyday.

Earlier this year, we had the opportunity to see four live music presentations. Colin James, Basia Bulat, Sue Foley, and N’Didi. Live music has always been something my husband and I like doing together. We try to get to a few shows a year, sometimes we do, sometimes we don’t sometimes the stars align and several artists we like all come and once and we end up at four shows with in six weeks. I am grateful we have the opportunity to go, grateful we share the like of live music, and grateful we have great venues to check out the artists at!

While we weren’t able to get out often (in our RV), getting out into nature is something we enjoy and something I am glad we (usually) get to do a lot of. We made a couple of trips this year – one to Miquelon Lake Provincial Park, where we spent a couple of nights enjoying the cool September evenings and lovely fall days.

The following weekend, we drove up to Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park and enjoyed an even more lovely weekend camping by the lake. We lounged, we chatted, we read, we napped. The weather was gorgeous, and the night sky was beautiful. We are looking forward and are already discussing the trips we want to take in 2026.

Our medical system is something I am immensely and deeply grateful for. We’ve been entwined with it since January of this year and while it isn’t without its flaws, it is something I would not give up. The experience has been positive – the doctors, nurses, aids – everyone has been caring, thoughtful, and compassionate. It hasn’t been just with our Mom and her illness and hospital stay – we’ve been involved with a variety of facets of the system. From my experiences with my health issues, to our son joining the system with problems with his knees and waitlists for referrals, my husband’s experiences with his knees and new ways to address knee repairs prior to replacements, to facets of the mental health care system that most people never have to navigate. I am so grateful for everyone we’ve encountered and all the help we’ve received.

While I won’t be sad to see 2025 come to a close, I am grateful for the things mentioned here, and many others that I haven’t written about – and many people too. Wherever this finds you, I hope you take time to think about the things in your life – big or small – that played a role in your life in 2025 – and look towards 2026 and how gratitude can play a part in your everyday.