Yesterday we reflected on the morning hours. Today, let’s reflect on the evening.

When it comes to the evening hours, I am thankful for:

A home that feels safe
The routine of turning on the lamps in our main rooms, since it’s growing dark outside
The ritual of preparing dinner with all of its colors and smells — chopping cilantro, slicing red bell peppers, browning onion, pressing garlic
How the ritual of preparing dinner connects me to my love for Kirk and a sense of contribution in our home
The way Diva and Solomon show up, expectantly, when we walk in the front door
The way we go hunting for them when they aren’t waiting for us at the front door, and then we find them lounging on the couch or snuggled together on the bed
The hug Kirk and I give each other once we’re both home from work
Conversations on the couch or over dinner about the events of our days
A chance to decompress from the day with a bit of “introvert time,” which we both need and freely give each other
The times when the kitties pile on the bed with us at the very end of the day and we play and make each other laugh
The calming effect that scrolling through my Instagram feed has on me before going to sleep
The routine of listening to the Pray as You Go podcast with Kirk at the end of each day

What about the evening hours makes you thankful?