Dear Rose # 31 - One Good Thing: Finding Gratitude During Pneumonia Recovery

Rose is an amalgam of us - women in their 40s, 50s, 60s and beyond who are looking for somewhere they are seen, heard and listened to.

Dear Rose,

I have a years-long practice of writing "one good thing" from the day in my calendar or diary (along with a sticker). It’s a way to remind myself that good things happen even on the worst days, and it acts as a memory keeper of sorts. I love looking back on it weeks or months later and being able to feel exactly what I felt when I first wrote it down.

Tonight, I wrote: “I felt well enough to do the laundry.” It really is the little things when you’re unwell.

It’s also:

• Support: My Mum picking up library books and shopping, and my boss offering to shop for me, too.

• Community: Neighbors popping over with a posy, honey, lemons, and baked goods.

• Beauty: My beautiful florist friend bringing me the biggest bouquet of flowers I’ve ever received.

• Connection: Daily phone calls from my brother in Canberra and WhatsApp chats with my friend in Sydney.

It’s the fact that I’m well enough to get well, and that I live in a country not directly at war. It’s having a roof over my head, a warm blanket to cover me, and a belly full of food.

So, maybe it’s the big things, too.

Love, Em xx