Glam & Grateful, Part 1

my gratitude journal for Leo season

Welcome to Leo Season 2026

Ok so it’s been established that I’ve been in a funk about climate change. And also I get Leo-Seasonal Depression¹. Plus after taking a week off in June and finding upon returning to work that I wasn’t ‘cured’ of my fatigue and irritableness— I am once again dealing with burnout. (Why do we run our society so this is unavoidable for most people? SO frustrating!)

The good news is: over the last ten years I’ve been building up a tool box of #copingmechanisms. I do think I’ve become so much better at tapping into them and engineering my way out of spirals. This year has been particularly challenging though because my main tool (nature walks) has become less effective and the skyrocketing cost of living has attached guilt and anxiety to things like going on artist dates or taking a Zumba class or getting a massage.

But another classic, heavy-hitter coping mechanism is of course: journaling. Gratitude journalling is especially powerful for humans. I have done gratitude journaling sprints for Lent and Advent several times and it is wild how much it can transform your mood and the heaviness of life over a few weeks! But I don’t know if you are like me, when it comes to journaling— especially when it will be the most useful— I avoid it like the plague.

So this Leo Season, I am challenging myself (and may have been specifically ordered to do so by my therapist) to do a short journal entry about I’m grateful for each day of Leo season. I guess this year, to be a Glamorous Leo is to be a Grateful Leo.

To force myself to stay consistent, I will share a summary each week. I hope you will join me.

Week One

Thursday, July 23:

Funny music on the internet. This week I happened to have discovered both Stephen Spencer’s hilarious, wholesome, somehow-profound musical versions of his toddler’s imaginative stories and nonsense song Mr. Jambo by musical parody comedian Kyle Gordon. These videos had me laughing out loud (even after the tenth listen)— I don’t feel like I’ve laughed at much of anything all year. Plus, these are just plain good tunes. They also reminded me that there are clever, creative people using their talents and time for good, making the world (and internet!) better instead of worse. Plus remember: “Everything all falled down, but we picked it up!”

Friday, July 24:

My voice. I like singing and my voice isn’t bad. Being able to sing and not be embarrassed to sing in front of at least myself in the car is a blessing. Not everyone is in this position. Singing is a great way to pass the time when you’re stuck doing something tedious (like sitting in traffic, doing the dishes, vacuuming) and also a great way to process emotions. Crying in the car while singing is probably good for you and singing super loud to an anthemic jam is also a great way to lift your mood, validate your own awesomeness, and get you ready to face the world. I’ve done both this week. I’m also learning a new, pretty-easy harmony part for a Fleetwood Mac pop-up chorus just for fun!

Saturday, July 25:

My dog. As much as it often feels like he has taken over my life, it is so nice to have someone so enthusiastic about just hanging out with me and have an emotionally simple connection with. This week has been very frustrating at work and it has been annoying to try to work with people’s unrealistic expectations while also being polite and pleasant. What a relief to see Orion’s happy face when I come home and happy brown eyes waking me up in the morning so we can go do things together. It is nice to be appreciated just for being me and not doing much of anything else.

Sunday, July 26:

Friends who are interested in my poetry. I happened to chat with two different people about a poetry project I am working on today. One was someone who has heard about this project for years; the other was someone hearing about it for only the second time. It felt so good to talk to people who were legitimately interested in the project and wanted to read my poetry. It still feels strange to talk about my work and my process and (1) not feel embarrassed, fraudulent or apologetic about it and (2) have someone be respectful and even enthusiastic about it. It has helped motivate me to keep working on my writing.

Monday, July 27:

Work from home on Mondays. Of course our workplaces are constantly trying to take this away from us but I am so happy that my job has a work from home policy that allows me to work from home on Mondays. I need a soft launch into the work week. The idea of reporting to the office on a Monday feels so brutal to me now. I am so glad I don’t have to start every week panic-packing my lunch, sitting in traffic for an hour with a bunch of other miserable people, or put on make-up unless I actually have a meeting. Keeping the cortisol levels low on Mondays is a blessing to both me and my coworkers.

Tuesday, July 28:

My dog sitters. They are so helpful and flexible and supportive. Every time I feel like I’m struggling with my reactive (or sometimes ill) dog, they are like cheerleaders, shouting: You’re doing a great job! We love you!

I love that my dog probably loves them at least equally to me if not more (they were his foster parents) and is so happy to hang with them. They also make me food to take home when I pick him up so I don’t have to cook! Craziness! People you can text with about dog poop and also hate on AI with are special people!

Wednesday, July 29

Queen Anne’s Lace. This might be my favorite flower. They started blooming in mid-July and have really been in their glory this week. I have fond memories of them from childhood and this year I’m especially loving that they sort of arrive for Leo season. I feel a connection. I love how simple and yet showy they are. I was at a watercolor classes several years ago and the teacher asked me what my favorite flower was— “Queen Anne’s Lace,” I said. I’m sure she was expecting me to say something colorful like a dahlia— you know, something colorful and therefore paintable— but we actually figured it out!

A random weed (aka innocent plant) was growing in one of my planters this year when I was installing my annuals. I decided to let it grow to find out what it was. It was a Queen Anne’s Lace and now I have a cluster of the white, delicate, dinner-plate blooms right on my balcony to greet me every morning.

1. To clarify - Because of experiences around my birthday/summer, people being bad friends, hormones etc. not exclusively because I’m an unhinged Leo.