Week 37: How Gratitude Shapes My Recovery

Holding on to gratitude when the world feels unbearably heavy

I have always tried to hold on to gratitude, even in the hardest of times. It does not erase the pain, but it helps me carry it differently.

Just the other night, my daughter and I were talking about the weight of the week. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. The brutal murder of Iryna Zarutska on a light rail train. The senseless school shooting at Evergreen High School in Colorado. The remembrance of 9/11. The list felt endless. The sadness of it all pressed down on us, and yet we reminded ourselves that we have to stay focused on the positive, pray for these families, and be grateful that we have not had to walk through such tragedy ourselves. Gratitude does not mean ignoring the hurt in the world, it means choosing not to drown in it.

A Moment in My Living Room

I will never forget a day when I was completely overwhelmed, running on empty, weighed down by responsibilities. I walked into the living room and saw my granddaughter’s tiny shoes in the middle of the floor. For some reason, I stopped. Instead of being frustrated by the clutter, I felt gratitude flood me.

I have a granddaughter. I get to be the one caring for her so she did not have to spend her days in daycare. She loves me with her whole little heart, and I get to love her back. That moment shifted everything. Gratitude softened my exhaustion and reminded me how blessed I truly am.

Gratitude as My Anchor

That is what gratitude does. It pulls me out of despair, whether it is the heartbreak in the headlines or the weight of my own struggles. It helps me notice the beauty that is still here, the shoes on the floor, the laughter in the kitchen, the strength in the middle of a storm.

Why It Matters in Recovery

Recovery has not created my gratitude, it has deepened it. It has helped me see gratitude not just as a list of blessings, but as a way of surviving and growing. Gratitude does not cancel out the hard stuff, but it makes room for light to shine through it.

So I keep looking for the shoes. The little reminders that even when the world feels overwhelming, I am still surrounded by grace.

What small, ordinary thing in your life reminds you that you are blessed, even in the middle of difficult times?

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Join me on this blogging challenge. Visit the page and download the PDF. I would love to read your story! 

• Week 37 – Blogging Challenge for Codependency Recovery:
  • Handling Relapses in Recovery: Share lessons learned from setbacks.
• Week 37– Blogging Challenge for Advanced Codependency Recovery:
  • How Gratitude Shapes My Recovery: Share how gratitude has helped you grow.

#CodependencyChallenge2025