This will be another frivolous entry. I’m sitting on the couch, in the process of writing a serious entry and my chinchilla is crawling all over me and my laptop. He’s crawling between my knees and the keyboard and perching on the monitor. Possibly the cutest thing ever. Clearly a sign that I need to stop writing about serious things and re-focus on awesome things.

So here are 33 things in my life that are awesome. These are all things that are part of every day for me. Just like epilepsy is part of every day, these are also part of my every day. How many of these things are part of your day? How many other things can you list that are amazing parts of your day?

1. My chinchilla. His name is Pepper and I adopted him and he’s quite possibly the cutest pet that has ever existed.
2. Stretching. If I’m at yoga, it’s fantastic. If I’m at home, I do it when I first get up in the morning before I start getting ready for bed. My favourite is pigeon pose.
3. My calendar. I have a calendar full of events, races, brunches and chiropractor appointments.
4. Reading. Whether it’s a novel, a magazine, an online article, or another blog, I make time every day to appreciate something new or a different perspective.
5. Coffee. No description needed.
6. Text messaging. I can have conversations with people who live far away.
7. My husband. We have different schedules, but if I don’t see him in the morning, I know he’s thinking of me because he’s either set up the coffee maker for when I get up, or set aside coffee in a thermos for me.
8. Sweatpants. The moment I get home from work or a run, I jump into comfy sweatpants and it’s the best feeling in the world.
9. Second best feeling: My heated mattress. My bed is warm before I get into it.
10. Water. I probably drink a couple litres a day. I am very fortunate to be able to do that.
11. Bananas. I eat two a day and absolutely love bananas. Ketogenic diet can bugger off.
12. My Marvel/Superhero wallet. It keeps my bus passes safe and always reminds me of my trip(s) to Disneyland with family or friends.
13. My 1950’s vanity. I love antique furniture. It’s where I get ready in the morning and is a totally glam start even when I’m not feeling glam.
14. Music (in general). I’m always playing music. Lately a lot of soundtracks, but also instrumental zen music, bouncy playlists or 90’s alt rock.
15. The giant red wall in my house. When we painted our house last year, I wanted a feature wall. It’s the largest single wall, and it is merlot red. I love it every time I see it.
16. The woodcut of Yondu that my husband bought me for Christmas. It’s hanging on the wall and it’s a beautiful piece of art work, no matter whether you care for superheroes or not.
17. Wine. I will shortly be cutting this out entirely, but for now, I am appreciating it every day.
18. Shoes. Again, something that not everyone has, so I’m fortunate right off the bat. I have a whole lot for running, hiking, keeping warm or looking fabulous.
19. Netflix. Not that I specifically watch television every day, but I do put it on sometimes when I’m getting ready or doing laundry or whatever as background noise. Lately it’s been catching up on season 2 of Riverdale.
20. Hand sanitizer. Because I touch the handles on public transit or open the door to a public washroom or something at some point every day.
21. E-mail. Similar to #6, but more thorough. I can do it from my phone, I can do it from my laptop.
22. My phone. Unlike my laptop, I do use my phone every day. It is a camera, photo album, calculator, telephone, stereo, coffee-purchaser, Netflix-player and a bunch of other stuff I don’t use all in one.
23. Eyes. About five years ago I had corrective surgery, so I have intra-corneal lenses in both eyes. I can’t even express how much of a difference it’s made in my life, and how nice it is not to have to try to find my glasses in the middle of the night just to get more water.
24. Talking. It’s one of my favourite things to do. Whether I’m discussing something significant or pointless, I have a voice and I’m able to use it.
25. Motion. Every day I run, walk, swim or do yoga. So all of those things are awesome, and I love that I am able to use my limbs in ways that get me to and from places. Or in the case of the treadmill, get me nowhere, but I’m still able to move doing so.
26. Love. There are so many things around me, in my house, that I’m wearing, that I just know that remind me that there are people who love me.
27. Eating. Sometimes I love it. Sometimes I hate it. Sometimes it’s healthy and most times it’s not. But it is great that it’s part of every day for me.
28. My tattoo. Every time I look at it, I am reminded that I have autonomy over my body and over my physical appearance.
29. Money. There are more important things in life than money, but for me, it allows me to purchase coffee, books, race registrations and travel. Not everyone has money. I really do realize how lucky I am with this.
30. Friendship. I talk to at least one friend a day. They are each wonderful and I am lucky to have them in my life.
31. Eggs. Like bananas, I eat them every day. They are my main source of protein.
32. Time. I have enough time in my day to choose what I want to do. Napping, running, cleaning, laundry, work, socializing.
33. This blog. Every day I write, make notes, or think about what I want to say. People read it and that makes me thrilled if even one person can take something from what I’m saying.

Some of these things are frivolous. Some of these things I am very fortunate to have, whether literally or figuratively. Some of these things are abstract concepts and some are tangible items. Let’s just focus, for a few minutes, on the things that we have in our days that are awesome. Just because epilepsy lurks every day, doesn’t mean that there aren’t wonderful things ready to shine through.