I came across this quote a little while ago and I cannot for the life of me find the source. If you know, let me know!
I liked the quote immediately because it matches what I so often say: thankfulness is not a state of pretending nothing bad is going on. The bad, the hard, the heavy things are all real!
But still, there are always joys and mercies to be found as well, and when you make a habit of hunting for those and noticing them, you have a little more wherewithal to handle the hard and heavy things.
I’ll start with my joys and then you can share yours too.
This week, I am thankful:
for the fun I am having with my co-workers
Do we love sitting in classes all day? No. But we do get to eat lunch together and take breaks together, and we have a light-hearted time together when we are working on skills.
If I was with unfriendly people, this orientation process would be SO MUCH WORSE.
that my buddy Brittany is with me
One of my study buddies is working in the emergency department, but the other one, Brittany, is gonna be on my same unit, so we are orienting together. 🙂
Brittany is on the right side of this picture 🙂
that August has been so temperate
Usually I think of August as the hottest and most miserable month of the year. But so far, it has been far more tolerable than June and July.
I actually don’t see a single day in the 90s in the forecast, so I guess we got our August heat out of the way early!
This is making me a very happy camper.
that my first nurse paycheck comes next week
Exactly a week from today, we will get our first nurse paychecks. And those will reflect our big raises, going from tech pay to nurse pay. Woohoo!
that I don’t have a sit-at-a-desk job
Sitting through orientation has reminded me that I would very much not appreciate a desk job. This amount of sitting is driving me nuts.
I know 12-hour shifts are tiring (I have worked a lot of them as a tech!), but I definitely prefer them to these hours of sitting, sitting, sitting.
for my comfy bed
I love my bed, I love my bedroom, and I still can hardly believe it’s mine and mine alone. I’m a fan. 🙂
that packing lunches isn’t hard for me
For most of my adult life, I’ve eaten lunch at my house. But also for most of my adult life, I packed a lunch for…someone else.
All those years of practice are paying off now, because I am pretty good at packing lunches for myself. 😉
for cats and boxes
I got Chiquita a new toy, which she does like.
But she is also a big fan of the box.
Even though the box is awfully small. 😉
that I have a three-day weekend coming up
Friday was reserved for unit orientation, but since I already work on my unit, I don’t need to get a tour of the supply rooms and such. 😉
And that’s how I’m ending up with a three-day weekend!
What are you thankful for this week?
P.S. A bonus (un-bonus?): we did not get our EKG exams back yesterday and apparently it might be another week or so because the person who grades them went on vacation. BOO. So we will all have to wait to see how that exam went for me.
Lori C
Saturday 23rd of August 2025
Wow a lot has changed around here!! For no particular reason I haven’t popped on to your blog in a while. The last time I was on here I think you had just been accepted to nursing school!! I am wagering that was like 2021? So in any event, it’s amazing to come on here and you are getting your first paycheck! It feels like a time lapsed video for me.
Now I’m wondering if I should go back and read all the posts from the last 4 years to catch up. ;)
Lori C
Wednesday 27th of August 2025
@Kristen, thank you for the update I’m so happy for you that you accomplished what you set out to do! I AM going to at least spot read some of the older posts. I’m glad to have “found” you again and excited to see you get settled in your new gig!
Kristen
Sunday 24th of August 2025
Aww, welcome back! I did prereqs in 2021 and 2022, and then in the fall of 2023 I started the nursing program, which I just graduated from in May of this year (2025).
I just started my new RN job and I'm also starting my RN to BSN classes this week. :)
Katy @ Practical Walk
Thursday 21st of August 2025
This has been a busy week, but it's been busy in good things: - a big job my husband is finishing. It's been a ton of work, but it should be finished soon and he'll get paid. Thankful he has work. - My daughter started art classes on college campus and she loves it! - My son started Taekwondo and is already obsessed with it. - Both kids started back homeschooling this week. - youth group started back - I'm Thankful the skunk on our porch didn't spray Nacho, our cat. He was just sitting there watching the skunk eat his food!!
Suz
Friday 22nd of August 2025
@Katy @ Practical Walk, Nacho is a wise cat!
Chrissy
Thursday 21st of August 2025
Last to the party again today as I rested in view of working tonight. Thankful to have gotten my yard mowed yesterday by my young friend. His Dad came with and worked on my newer lawn mower that quit working soon after I got it about (four?) years ago. It will be good to have that mower working as it is self-propelled and mulches as it cuts. The housing on the this one is wearing out. I am amazed at how effortless an 18y/o makes it look cutting the yard, getting it done in an hour when it takes me a good two and I have to stop in the middle for a break. I will say that center of gravity and age are the main differences, but I also trim closer and stop to cut out tree sprouts, etc. Thankful for the cooler nights. Thankful I was able to pack the new to me china and get ready to take to the basement. Not to worry. I do use my dishes, just don't have the space upstairs for all of it. Also thankful that the teapot I purchased on eBay matched perfectly in color to the tea set I purchased at the flea market. It will probably be a gift. Thankful Molly seems to be feeling better and has had an upswing in her energy level. I was so afraid that she was going to die last Sunday.
Lindsey G
Thursday 21st of August 2025
Chiquita is so cute in that little box! This week I am thankful for: 1) an impromptu visit from my husband's cousin. We used to live near each other, but the years have taken us apart geographically. He is currently moving back to CA from OR and asked my husband if he could stay with us along his driving route this week. He's been through a rough time this year, so I am thankful to provide a safe (and hopefully) fun space for him to land temporarily along his way. 2) that one of my sons is on the mend. He caught a nasty virus over the weekend and missed 2 days of school this week, which was tough as he just started high school last week. Thankfully, he's better now and back at it, sports and all. 3) So many hiking partners. This week alone I will hike/walk with 3 different friends. This is my favorite type of exercise - outdoors, hiking, in nature, with friends! I have been able to maintain a 3-day/week hiking schedule this summer (with the exception of a couple of weeks), but several of my hiking buddies are teachers, so school starting pushed our hikes to the weekends. Happy to have some other flexible-work/retired/shift-work friends to meet up with during the week! 4) Simple meals instead of eating out. We were really scrambling on Tuesday to come up with a dinner idea and ultimately landed on a menagerie that included: deviled eggs, a salad, and blueberry muffins. We call this a "misc" (miscellaneous) dinner at our home. 5) I'm excitedly eyeing the temperature on my weather app as we have a cool spell beginning tomorrow. It's been over 90 degrees for the past two days, and we don't have air conditioning, so the lower temperatures will be very much welcomed.
MB in MN
Thursday 21st of August 2025
I am particularly grateful for: - our dog's successful eye surgery and smooth recovery so far - the annual pontoon ride with childhood friends on the lake where our parents had cabins - all the fresh herbs in our container garden for cooking and baking - the weekly outings with my sister, sometimes more often than that. She's now one of my best friends.