Today, I took 3 hours out of my schedule to walk from my office to sit in front of the tv with my wife and son.

Watching Happy Feet and random videos about how elephants migrate for food, I felt an emotion that has been slept on this year.

That emotion was gratitude.

1/12

This year tested my marriage.

This year tested all relationships. Mandatory lockdowns tested relationships with friends and family, while deaths tested relationships with God.

2/12

There is no secret end of the year advice that will heal the pain, no resolutions to rectify the hurtful experiences in your relationships.

The world turns on its head, and positive or negative, a new year changes all of us.

3/12

The person you were married to at the start of the year, will not be the same one that stares at you from across from the bed when it ends.

The reflection in the mirror will have survived bumps, bruises, even death.

4/12

Don’t force yourself to end the year with anything that is not genuine, don’t impose inspiration if you don’t feel it.

This is not a year for manufacturing emotions; the only experience you are entitled to is gratitude.

5/12

We overcomplicate gratitude in marriage; recommended hours of yoga, relationship surveys and mediation audiobooks. I’m not knocking these things if they work for you.

Gratitude is complicated in a relationship, but sometimes it is very simple.

6/12

A kiss transforms from a routine gesture into a deeper representation of your love when it has no other meaning, but thank you for being here.

Hugs slap differently when you wrap your arms around one of the reasons you are happy to be alive.

7/12

Through all the L’s and the grind, you have earned it. Every breath you have been given is glory.

Gratitude is the only magic trick I have in my hat for you. It may not save your marriage or make the burdens of new year feel lighter, but it will give you a moment of relief.

Appreciation is a portal through the worst days, until you emerge to better ones.

9/12

It is our job to treasure unforgettable memories for the ones we have loved and lost, keep them in your heart, don’t forget their sacrifices, and their memory and legacy are yours to carry until you pass them on to others.

10/12

You fought with people you care about throughout the year, but you if you still have the power to pick up the phone and say sorry, be grateful.

11/12

The fact that you can read this is a luxury, some were not afforded.

Things might change tomorrow, but today that should be enough to make you grateful for life.

I wish you all many more sunsets. Glory to the heavens.

Happy New Year peoples.