This is one of those middle of the night posts that I pray still makes sense in the morning and that will probably be riddled with typos and fun autocorrect surprises because I’m using my phone, but the thoughts are cartwheeling through my brain and I need to splat.

I stayed up too late again. I found another season of Young and Hungry on Netflix, and loafed on my cushy couch and watched it on my large flatscreen while scrolling through Twitter. Finally I rolled off the couch and went to close up the house.

Remembering I needed to cool some water, I pulled my filter out of the fridge and put it on the counter to fill. I was feeling sort of melancholy. It doesn’t really matter why. It’s a CD on repeat with me. (A CD is like a tiny record that old people used to listen to music on, kids!) Comparisons with others, with myself. Wishes that things in my life were different. Whining in my own brain about how unfair some things are in life.

As I watched the clean, cool, drinkable water flow from my faucet to my filter container, it occurred to me how very lucky I am that I have time to sit around and complain about the fact that my life isn’t exactly how I’d like it to be. 

How amazing that my biggest worry is that I might get some bad reviews for the book I get to publish, and not whether I will be able to pay all my bills this month.

How fortunate that I can rant about the political climate on social media and not worry that I will be killed for it.

How incredible that I am able to grumble tomorrow morning about having to get up and drive in my safe car to my steady job instead of searching for whatever work I can find.

What a blessing that I live in a place where I have the opportunity and the freedom to follow my dreams, even if they don’t all come true.

My point is this (I think). Life isn’t perfect. We all have struggles. We all have low points. And we shouldn’t pretend that we don’t. They are difficult and they are legitimate. But when you catch yourself complaining because your life isn’t the fairy tale you’d like it to be, remember all the amazing things you have in your life, even the small things like the ability to read this blog on a phone or computer, and think about the fact that the life you’re living just may be someone else’s idea of a fairy tale. 

Now I’m going to go take a hot shower with clean water and set my alarm for five uninterrupted hours of sleep. It may not be ideal, but it’s something.