Nature. It’s just there. And for free. I’d like to keep it that way too.
It may be an age thing, but I really appreciate watching the seasons changing and plants just doing their thing - always pushing to grow and just exist. In the timeframe of a human, the life of a plant seems so depressing and inevitable doomed to come to an end, but at the same time, you know that new things will eventually push to grow and exist.
Even if we fuck up everything, you can never hold back spring
I think trees especially are cool. What was once a tiny seed that could fit at the tip of your finger grows into a massive tower that you can barely see from top to bottom. They house entire ecosystems within their roots, bark, and branches, and they will probably outlive you and your entire family. Combined.
Old growth trees are something everyone needs to see at least once. They are breathtakingly huge.
I hate to be pedantic, but I call the feeling “gratitude” rather than “thankfulness” because I personally don’t believe there’s anyone to thank or who could receive my thanks.
But I’m grateful for many many things. I was able to leave the US twenty-three years ago, and that may be the thing I’m most grateful for. I’m grateful that I recovered from depression seven years ago and have not had a serious relapse (I feel gratitude plays a huge part in that).
I’m grateful for my kids, for my home, my pets, my health, the beauty of the area where I live, the fact that I got an unexpected windfall that let me pay off my debts and line within my small income.
My life is good, and I am filled with gratitude for that.