Count your blessings - June 2026

1. Serving a Canadian exchange student some stoofvlees, knowing it was on her bucket list
2. Partying at a beautiful wedding from friends
3. Attending to the impressive opera from Carmen 
4. Attending a "province roadshow" carefully prepared by Beertje's class as a project in which they invested a lot of energy and enthousiasm.  Glad I was able to go and check it out.
5. Getting multiple job interviews this month
6. Kabouter going relatively stressless through his exams. (and his recurring stress moments were mostly in the trend "I think it is easy and I know it already but what if I am too optimistic").
7. Observing Beertje participating in Leuven's big water fight mid June in the city center.
8. Having a powerful airco at Kabouter's room (also blasting in the hallway and impacting Beertjes room somewhat positively also) and having a mobile airco unit that makes sleeping possible in our room during the most insane long heatwave I can remember.
   Thank goodness also for coolness in the basement where I now spend voluntarily very long days.
9. Being in the east of Belgium and trimming our wild jungle garden there (before the crazy heat arrived). 
10. Attending at an interesting Rotary meeting about Polio by baron dr. Van Damme 
11. Finishing some books....that last boost to read until finish before doing anything else can be so nice.
12. Having a drink with some other judo parents in the garden when it was too hot to actually attend judo practise
13. Having the ability to take Beertje home when school closed in the afternoons because of the heat
14. Having a few of Kabouter's friends over for a sleepover after the exams and getting to know them better.  Observing them during a VR game was also rather funny.
15. Hearing good medical news from friends that have had to take up too much negative news this year already so so relieved to hear the tide is turning.
16. A temperature of 27C after it was 35C, as a great blessing!  Funny how temperatures can be so relative.  
17. Participating in my first parent-child judo training, let by Olympic medalist Ilse Heylen. 
18. Being invited and attending the graduation of the Rotary Exchange Student in Leuven.
19. The rooms in the house returning to temperatures below 25C. 
20. Good report cards

This is a monthly list of simple things in my life that make me happy or that make me smile.  

As the world often seems full of negativity and disaster, I want to pay attention to these small things that make me happy in my daily life and be grateful for them. You can find all of them via this link