Ms. Toomey, my IB Arts teacher, introduced me to the idea of the gratitude journal. She asked students in our class to identify three things we felt thankful for in our lives. We started with standard answers like parents, friends and pets before the list grew unbounded: water bottles, phone cases and the school cafeteria, which served the crowd-favorite chicken tender box. Soon, students began competing to see who could be more inventive with their gratitude after realizing that even the most mundane objects could be worthy of a thank-you note.
I forewent this adorable practice after high school but finally picked it up again this semester. Each morning, reflecting on those precious moments has been a persistent ritual before another hectic day at Hopkins.
Here’s a little peek into some of the elements that have frequently appeared in my journal:
Torani hazelnut sugar-free syrup + Starbucks dark roast iced coffee
I landed on this sweet-bitter duo after my grocery foraging. Despite trying every ready-to-drink coffee I could get my hands on, from Califia Farms to La Colombe to Stok, I eventually came back to Starbucks. As a self-proclaimed food critic, I feel slightly ashamed of surrendering to a mass-market product, but my taste buds fell for its chocolate-like nuttiness, smoothness and low acidity. I typically add a drizzle of hazelnut-flavored syrup to the drink to enrich the profile. As someone who’s fallen into a fitness-void sleep pattern at Hopkins (I could honestly live in any time zone, depending on my schedule this semester), I’m grateful for this morning brew, especially over ice, for bringing me just enough palate glee to rise for.
Huawei smartwatch
“Little tiger uncle,” a perennial runner and my mom’s long-time friend from college who coincidentally shares her birthday, gifted it to me. At the time, I never thought jogging would become a must for my everyday. The watch functions as a dependable personal trainer during my runs. I track my heart rate with the watch because it helps avoid exhaustion during my 50-minute exercise sessions. I’m also fond of its sleep-tracking feature for a mischievous reason: there’s a sinful joy in seeing less than six hours of sleep after my sleep cycle is mysteriously disrupted, as the number could excuse me for one more hour of sleep.
The Johns Hopkins News-Letter
The Johns Hopkins News-Letter has been the name shimmering through my gratitude sessions. Brainstorming and editing and writing for this organization serve as my favorite type of escape: I reserve them for my relaxation time after clearing out schoolwork and chores. It provides an imaginative and qualitative oasis. When an interviewer once asked what fun project I’d been working on lately, this magazine was the first thing that came to mind. It was perhaps the most authentic answer I’d given beneath the pretentious shell of professionalism.
Friends O and V
You two are my besties at Hopkins. Before you, I wasn’t used to putting my affection into words. I used to think that actions were more important until you demonstrated that they carry the same weight and that letting them be heard has its own value.
O, you once asked me why I’m so good to you — but have you forgotten that you were the one who showed kindness first? You may never know the jolt I felt when you told me that knowing me was the best thing that happened to you during the time we shared on that research team. You were and still are the first person I turn to whenever keeping my need to vent at bay feels impossible. You’ve endured countless ramble-like jokes of mine, always replying with equal wit and discretion.
V, you’ve thrown too many compliments my way. In a way, I feel I don’t quite deserve them (but I’m trying to live up to them). We visited Clavel together and your insistence on venturing off the well-trodden path of tacos led me to dazzle in their luscious ceviches, the best I’ve ever had. My impression of you lingered in that sunny afternoon. So I was a little surprised when you revealed to me your sentimental side. Thankfully, the worst is already behind you. I always knew you’d make it — you’re so intelligent yet kind to everyone. I’m genuinely proud of all that you’ve accomplished.
My parents
Our relationship has maintained a love-hate duet, with the age difference, the minor yet memorable wound when you told me I’d become strange under bad influences from my classmates and the fact that we might have spent more time separated than together during the last eight years. I can imagine I haven’t been the easiest one to raise, but I know I love you, I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for me, and whenever I say thank you, I mean it without qualification.
And thank you, my gratitude journal. You were my pillar when I vegetated through the past jammed weeks of midterms and interviews. You’ve safeguarded so much of my selfhood and precious moments, and you remind me that even on the most prosaic days, there are still things to be happy about.
Yuyu Huang is a senior majoring in Mathematics and Economics from Fuzhou, China. She is a Magazine Editor for The News-Letter.