In the words of my friend, the Grinch, IT. IS. GO. TIME.
I think February is a wonderful month to lean into a gratitude practice. At least in my part of the world, life starts to feel significantly lighter and brighter—literally. January is dark and cold and seems endless. February feels like a ray of hope at the end of a wintry tunnel. The days are getting noticeably longer, we still get major storms but (regardless of Punxsutawney Phil’s predictions) there are usually at least a few spring-adjacent moments.
In the lead-up to a temporarily life-altering extended trip to Europe, this gratitude exercise felt extra grounding.
It’s go time, friends. Who’s ready for a giant dose of gratitude?
*These posts take quite a bit of work to pull together and life has been feeling both heavy and hectic this week so I’m scheduling this without doing a final read through. If I’ve missed anyone’s FIGs or links aren’t working 100%, apologies in advance!
FIG COLLECTORS AROUND THE INTERWEBS
Getting us started this week is Julie, an expert—and daily—FIG finder:
- Sunday – A trip to the museum in San Francisco with my daughter and our cousin
- Monday – Flowering trees
- Tuesday – Good Books (including Nicole’s book!) [I picked up my copy last night!]
- Wednesday – Eating from the freezer instead of cooking something new
- Thursday – Roasted frozen broccoli (thanks to you!)
- Friday – Nice dinner with my husband at a new (to me) restaurant
- Saturday – Dental care – had my 6 month check up and cleaning. Then went to our weekly protest. Thankful that we live somewhere where it feels absolutely safe to be out there speaking our minds every week.
Read more about Julie’s first week of FIGs here.
Jacquie had some great FIGS:
- Random kindness from a stranger at a new hair salon I went to. As she was leaving she handed me a coupon for a free haircut! [That’s amazing!!]
- Friday night dinner out with our neighbours
- Tried a new peanut butter cookie recipe and it’s a keeper! [Please share this with me! I don’t think I’ve ever met a PB recipe I didn’t love.]
- Lunch with my girlfriend who was not well earlier in the year and is now feeling much better
Allison had plenty of FIGs: her son being officially hired by major league baseball as an assistant pitching coach [so cool!!], birthday celebrations, sweet kids at school, and Nicole’s book Inhale Exhale.
I love that our F.I.G. Collective has members around the world, including Melissa in Australia. Some of her FIGs from Week 1: church, fresh mangoes, and The Age of Innocence [the book we’re reading for Engie’s Cool Blogger’s Book Club].
Kit writes:
Greetings from Oregon! I go by Kit and I’ve followed your blog for at least a couple years, but have never been a commenter. I’m grateful for bloggers like you who share uplifting content, and this month I’m joining your FIGs practice. Here are a few photos of moments of gratitude from my week, including a sampling of my gratitude journaling.
I don’t have a blog, but I share some of my photography on Instagram @anirtakstewart
Thanks so much for participating, Kit! I absolutely ADORE receiving pictures of these gratitude lists and I love your handwriting.
mbmom11 writes:
- my daughter’s cat- Rusty is 18+ yrs and keeps on keeping on. She has a gravelly meow and wants pets. A model of fortitude!
- that my cat has not stalked and harassed my daughter’s dog much while we pet sit. He’s even slept in the same room! Makes life calmer.
- adult son got a job!
- a hard conversation with that same son makes the way forward and has cleared the air quite a bit. [Parenting can be a true labour of love; I’m so glad he found a job and that you all have some clarity for moving forward.]
And cats, hot showers, warm quilts, and scarfs.
When Engie sent me an e-mail titled “Big FIG”! I couldn’t open it fast enough. She writes:
Things are tough right now and I think I just need to lean in to the idea that 2026 is not going to be easier than 2025, but someday all of this will pass. In the meantime, I run a program at work for adult learners who are returning to college after time away to get them credit for prior learning. I’m doing a conference presentation on this program later this month and I am interviewing students who were part of it so that I can add their voices to the presentation.
Here’s a quote from my interview with a student today:
You showed compassion towards me, you showed fairness towards me and I noticed those things and said, ok, [Engie] is not making you feel less than or incapable of this thing. So you have to lean into her. So I want you to actually take that away and if there’s something, that is a win on that end, I would probably argue that that was the thing that got me through to the finish line with this.
I showed compassion!! It’s my motto of the year!! I was not fishing for her to use that language (the question was “So when you look back on it, is there anything you’re like super proud of that you accomplished through this process?:). This is a big FIG for me. I am so grateful that I have an opportunity to help struggling students and get them through the finish line to graduation. What an awesome job I have. [Engie, this is such amazing feedback. It’s so nice to get confirmation that your hard work and support of others is noticed, appreciated, and has actionable influence on the trajectory of their lives!!!]
That’s all. I’m glad I’m doing these interviews.
Thanks for doing FIGs. It’s really making things easier right now.
For LOTS more FIGs from Engie’s world, please check out her complete FIG roundup.
Joy O’Toole sent an e-mail my way, complete with a photo of her FIG list and this note:
My FIGs sheet sits in my planner and every day I choose one thing to write down.
- January 31st was my son’s wedding so my February 1 FIG had to be my delightful new daughter.
- The homemade gingerbread on February 7 was part of a cooking demo I did at my library as part of our 250th birthday celebrations in the United States. The recipe originated from George Washington’s mother, Mary Ball Washington, and I while it is modernized, I suspect it tastes much the same as the original. 🙂
My week was full and very busy, but stopping to focus on one thing for which I was thankful was so fun and life giving.
I sent a copy of your sheet to one of my pen friends, who also likes to keep track of things she’s grateful for.
Thank you for leading this wonderful February ritual.
Thank you for participating, Joy, and for sharing this little gratitude practice with a friend <3 And a huge congratulations on welcoming a new daughter-in-law into your family. A cause for great celebration!
Sarah—who decided doing ALL THE THINGS wasn’t enough—has taken up a running habit. She writes:
My biggest glimmer so far this month is being able to run outside again because we finally have temps above zero (for the most part). I have missed the sunrise and am so glad to see it again.
For lots more from Sarah, check out this post with weekly FIGs, including: “dopamine dressing”, delicious bagged veggies, yoga with Adriene (AND JULIE!!), and pictures of her youngest daughter in the sweetest ballerina costume!
San writes: A souvenir from my coworker from the pyramids in Egypt – miniature teal-colored pyramid 🙂
What a sweet gesture! For more FIGs from San’s world, check out her recap post!
Rebecca found all sorts of things to be grateful for during the first week of February. She has taken a page out of Allison’s book and has chosen to embrace her inner Nordic spirit and call them FJIGs 🙂 I heartily approve!
- February 1st: After the biggest snow we’ve seen in years, coupled with dangerously cold temps/windchills, the power is still on and the sun has come out. And my chickens are still alive. Which means I can appreciate the beauty more fully. [It’s always easier to appreciate winter weather when the power stays on!]
- February 2nd: We put together the most delicious pasta dish for dinner.
- February 3rd: The snow cover + February’s full Snow Moon = super bright nights, and the wild things are roaming. Such a delight to follow their trails, see who came by in the night.
- February 4th: Spontaneous takeout for dinner {Chick-fil-A, our reliable standby}, after a grey and gloomy day. And I’m making good progress joining my book blanket together. [I can’t wait to see the finished project! I still think this is one of the most creative things I’ve ever heard of!]
- February 5th: An unexpected band of snow flurries! They did not stick/accumulate, but they were gorgeous to look at.
- February 6th: The utter cuteness of my tiny Pepper girl sprawled out on a straw bale in the sun. She is all of us: so glad the sun is back, needing it to soak into our bones.
Bonus FJIG: the Olympics start today! - February 7th: Taking both cars through the carwash to remove salt/brine! Also meal prepping all the delicious things.
For more, see her full FJIGy post!
Stephany is tracking FIGs daily in February. This week’s roundup included: snacks, prednisone, winning a giveaway, fun snail mail, walking paths, and the Olympics.
Suzanne has a delightful post chockablock FULL of FIGs including: deep sleep, delicious soup, homemade cookies, and—of course—Lenny the cat. Check out all the details here.
Jenny shared all sorts of FIGs. Of course, topping that list is her adorable NEW KITTEN, Sylvie. Also: fun Starbucks cups, the Olympics, Super Bowl food, and the lovely weather in her part of Florida. (Lots more details about her FIGs here.)
Sam is tracking FIGs and this week her list included: reading Harry Potter to her daughter at bedtime [been there, done that!!!], beautiful clouds, stars at night, takeout, and cute toddler phrases. For lots more FIGs, here’s her full post.
Noemi’s FJIGs included Magna Tiles, snuggles with cats, a Homer Simpson Chia Pet, on-sale chips, and Mission Impossible Dead Reckoning. For more pictures and details, here’s her full post.
Diane’s FIG list covered a broad spectrum: snow days, a warm house, laughter, Google, and dark chocolate quinoa crisps from Costco. For pictures, and more FIGs, her post is here…
ELISABETH’S FIGs
I happily pulled out my FIG notebook from 2025. It hasn’t been touched in a year and it has been a true delight to flip through the pages of highlights from last year.
1 Feb (Sunday)
The first day of FIG tracking did not get off to an auspicious start. I had a very sore neck and ended up taking a muscle relaxer, followed by a 2-hour nap.
- 1 | Magic Bags for my sore neck and cold feet.
- 3 | A dishwasher (and daughter emptying it).
- 4 | My PIN number finally arrived [I’d been waiting for a PIN number for over a month]!
- 5| Clean sheets.
2 Feb (Monday)
- 6 | Coffee
- 7 | No storm. No snow day! [A storm had been predicted but ended up changing trajectory and missing us completely!]
- 8 | Baked French Toast—breakfast was ready.
- 10 | Crisp, green grapes.
- 11 | Pickleball. This group of people. It’s special.
- 12 | Everyone raved about supper!
- 14 | It wasn’t bitterly cold outside.
- 15 | Belle prepping overnight heatless curls for me. It’s so relaxing to have my hair done.
*Heatless curls the next morning.
3 Feb (Tuesday)
- 18 | Bumping into Josy-Anne.
- 19 | Sunshine.
- 20 | Autopay set up successfully.
- 21 | Cafe white noise.
- 23 | Spotify—how I love music.
4 Feb (Wednesday)
- 32 | Lighting “fresh” candles.
- 33 | It’s light at breakfast!!
- 34 | The kids are so good at making conversation with people.
- 37 | Silly face puzzle at appointments.
- 38 | Sorting through, taking pictures of, and deciding on most of what clothes to take to Europe!
- 42 | $2.29 for TWO pairs of new Columbia socks at the thrift store.
- 43 | Belle humming while she puts away dishes.
5 Feb (Thursday)
- 45 | Walk in the sunshine.
- 46 | A delicious salad for lunch.
- 47 | Muffin, pecans, and cottage cheese.
6 Feb (Friday)
- 51 | Deep conversations with a beloved friend.
- 52 | The Winter Olympics have started!
- 53 | Sunshine!
- 56 | A warm house.
7 Feb (Saturday)
- 57 | Yummy oatmeal.
- 58 | That First Day of Olympics Feeling.
- 59 | Softly falling “snowglobe” snow.
- 60 | A fun time at the ski hill with Indy! I never want to go and then always end up loving my time.
- 61 | Mom and Dad over for supper. Casual and delicious. [Waffles and baked beans.]
- 62 | The sound of the dishwasher whirring.
That wraps up the first week of FIG collection. Now it’s your turn.
- What was your favourite FIG from Week 1?
- What’s your biggest barrier to establishing a gratitude practice (time, circumstances, personality)?
Discover more from The Optimistic Musings of a Pessimist
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I think my favorite FIG is Engie’s. What a compliment to her hard work! Jenny’s kitten, Sylvie, was a close second. (Big surprise- not!) My daughter informed me that Rusty is actually 19.5 years, so even more impressive! Rusty’s philosophy is heated pads and yummy food make life worth living- a motto we could all live by!
My personality is a barrier to gratitude- I’m pessimistic and life has been hard these past few years, so looking up from the necessities of existence to think about joys/thankfuls can take real effort. Cats make it easier, though!
19.5. I do not think I’ve ever heard of a dog that age. What a testament to his longevity and clearly lots of loving care <3
Sign me up for all the warm things AND good food.
Some seasons of life can feel very bleak and personality makes a huge difference. It's not easy being a pessimist (speaking as one), but I do think it takes all kinds. Pessimists bring a lot of realism to the table. Do I wish I was naturally an optimist? 100% But I also now see lots of value in my personality and the fact it takes intention to be more optimistic...
You really nailed this post, Elisabeth! The whole roundup feels warm and cozy. Featuring so many people and giving everyone their own little spotlight is a real skill. It reads like a proper community snapshot, not just a list of links. I think I counted 17 different people, maybe more?
And yes, Engie’s FIG is the winner for me, too! Someone unknowingly commenting on the exact quality you are working on – what a lovely feeling that must be.
I didn’t stop to count but, yes, SO MANY. Isn’t it delightful????
These are so great!! I need to officially participate… I had a bit of a WEEK over here, so I just couldn’t quite get my head around doing much of anything so I missed doing any sort of FIG round up. BUT, I actually collect FIGs daily as part of my daily journaling habit, year-round, so I can easily jump in now! (I have done this both on paper and currently am back to my digital journal page.) I have one section called “Happy” (yellow) and one section for “Gratitude” (pink) which yes, one could argue are sort of the same thing, but I feel like there is a slightly nuanced difference between my Happy list and my Gratitude list? haha. And then I have my good old grey “Bummers” section. (Some days I have more things in the grey section and need to work to boost the others! lol.) I will have to share my own Week 1 Round Up. Thanks for leading this- I’m such a fan of this practice!!
I’m sorry February is getting off to a tough start. You were on such a roll in January (where I, on the other hand, felt like I was crawling through each day).
I love how you organize your highlights and think keeping track of bummers is so wise and reflective of the truth that life is a constant collection of highs and lows. Looking forward to reading your weekly round up <3
This is one yummy FIGgy pudding! Everyone needs to make “I showed compassion” their motto. It would make a nice tattoo as well.
Yay to Kit for commenting!!! The first step is leaving comments, the next step is starting a blog!!!
Sylvie wins cutest FIG award.
Sylvie is ADORABLE. And perched on Jenny’s laptop watching Paul perform just may be the sweetest thing I’ve seen online in 2026!
Oh, Elisabeth. This was so soothing and joyful to read! I love having an extra motivation to focus on the things I’m grateful for, but it surprises me how much happiness I get from reading about other people’s FIGs! My heart is so warm and full. Thank you. <3
Awww. Thanks, friend <3 I'm so glad you're participating and loved your post and all the great pictures (as always).
It really does make my heart swell up each time I see someone post about their gratitude moments or e-mail me a list of FIGs. Knowing I'm not alone in fighting for joy really does inspire me to keep on focussing on the good things (at a time it's pretty easy to fall into despair).
Okay, but can we talk about your hair? I know you hate doing hair. BUT. Elisabeth! Your hair! The heatless curls!!!! I mean, I tried. I tried with the heatless curls and it DID NOT WORK EVEN REMOTELY. Can I borrow Belle? Girl knows what she’s doing. It feels like a perfect thing. Belle helping you with heatless curls – it looks amazing and maybe there is a mother-daughter bonding thing? ALSO IT LOOKS AMAZING.
I know. Isn’t it just like me to focus on your hair when there are so many things to be grateful for? BUT ELISABETH IT IS FIRE. (I am sure no one says fire anymore, which is perfect timing for me to adopt it. I’m still using YOLO)
I am so very grateful for everyone who has read my book and said such kind things – and all the support! I am overwhelmed with love. It’s been a really wonderful experience, all of it.
I am grateful for travel and I’m grateful to be home, I am grateful for my sons who were both here for dinner last night. I am grateful to have gotten a great night’s sleep last night and I no longer feel like a jetlagged zombie. All of it, so grateful. xoxoxo
YOU ARE TOO KIND. Belle is hands down amazing with heatless curls and with her natural highlights it looks like she’s walked out of a salon each morning.
She is in the process of learning all the countries and capitals in the world, so the way I convinced her to do my heatless curls was that I would quiz her while she put in the curls. She was very happy with that arrangement. WIN WIN!
I really do wish I enjoyed doing hair more because I have a good base to work with (natural wave/curl, quite thick, a bit of natural highlighting), but I truly despise it, Nicole. I know I shouldn’t complain but I still do because I wish I could just buzz it all off (I suppose I COULD do that, but would not enjoy the aesthetic). MOVING ON.
I love all your gratitude mentions. Travel is amazing… and sleeping in your own bed, getting back to your own routines, eating your own food, AND BEING WITH THE BOYS and REX is also amazing.
Love that Homer chia pet! And your curls. Another snow day here – hope you’re having some hot chocolate, etc. Still painting every day, and “Nana’s Moon” is getting close to being print-ready. I’m having fun with Canva learning how to lay out the particulars for submission to a printer. Hope your trip plans are falling into place nicely?
This is perfect weather to stay inside with a warm drink and work on a book project!
The plans are coming. I try to do a little bit every day…
I love that you keep one notebook for FIGs–what a fun and uplifting time capsule. Thank you so much for all your work in bringing together everyone’s emails/posts/lists. It really is such a joy to see all the good in everyone’s life!
I started the notebook last year because my husband had gifted it to me for Christmas and I am SO glad I did, because I think it will be a special event if I can keep this tradition going (on or offline!) for many February’s to come.
Thanks for participating <3
Rusty is the orange cat. But my daughter gives her extraordinary care. She has her own room!
Oops. Sorry! *Facepalm*
Rusty does NOT look like a senior feline at all. And is clearly living a wonderful life <3
We have had a very healthy 2026 so far, so that is my biggest thing I’m grateful for!
That’s wonderful; especially since the “bugs” circulating this year seem to be extra nasty!
This roundup is every bit as wonderful as I thought it’d be! I love that there are so many of us counting our blessings/joys/giving thanks for the little – and BIG – moments 😀 😀 😀 Go all of us! ❤️❤️❤️
I can’t wait to go through and read more of the longer form updates too 🙂
Awww. Thanks for such kind words. I’m glad this roundup brought a smile to your face and thanks so much for participating <3
Did anyone read this post without a huge smile on their face? I don’t think it’s possible!!! So much gratitude! And I love how many people participated (I missed some of their posts and can now go back and read them).
What if we all adopted “show compassion” as our motto (and by that I mean the whole world)? Imagine the shift we would see. I say we take Engie’s motto and start a movement.
Thanks for putting this together- I’m sure it’s a tremendous amount of work!
JENNY YOU MADE MY DAY. I’m now sitting here picturing you with Sylvie on your lap smiling while reading this post. I hope you were sipping an Earl Grey at the same time <3
I am so excited by all the cat love in the FIGs. Rusty! Sylvie! More cats, friends! Show me the cats! Also, Joy’s gratitude for her new daughter is PERFECT. I just know she’s going to be a MIL that her daughter-in-law brags about! Also, Elisabeth? Your handwriting is AMAZING. You should start a calligraphy biz on the side!
This is such a heartwarming post. I’m going to have to remember to bookmark it and come back to reread these things when things get tough.
So many cat friends, Engie! Next week we need to make Zelda the star of the show 🙂
You are seriously too kind about the handwriting. It is a hodge podge of cursive and printing and… it works. If I take my time it can be very neat, but I often do NOT take time 😉
And thanks for the kind words about this post. FIGs really bring me so much joy: tracking my own, but maybe even moreso reading about everyone else’s!
This post is really making my day, Elisabeth!! So many positive things from so many different people – it’s wonderful to read and thank you for keeping this series going. I agree with others that Engie’s work post is the highlight. How to gratifying to receive such positive feedback.
These are all so wonderful! Thank you for compiling them – they really uplifted my heart!
I love seeing everyone’s posts. I especially love seeing pets. They are such a huge commitment, money and care and sometimes worry, but oh, they bring so much joy.
I want to reach through my screen and give Sylvie a giant snuggle <3
This post must have taken you forever to compile. Well done, you. First off, I’m not sure if I ever noticed – your handwriting is gorgeous. Mine is horrendous.
I missed Engie’s FIG post and the comment about her program for students gave me the warm fuzzies. Like Diane, I also love the dark chocolate toasted quinoa snacks from Costco. I didn’t know Mbmom11’s son got a job and I’m elated that she had a hard conversation with him. So many good things. I’ve been noting my figs in my mind, but not great at writing them down. Tomorrow is a new day. I’m on it.
Aww, thanks. Yes, these posts definitely take time and effort but it’s worth every minute.
My favourite FIGS are all the cats! Haha! I wouldn’t say I have an active gratitude practice as such, but I’m generally quite good at noting things I’m thankful for. Barriers would be long days at work and monotonous weather (in the form of snow and freezing temps right now). It really did me good to go away this week and have a reset. I’m naturally adept at resting but there’s a difference between being and just being passive, if that makes sense. When I’m being passive and going through the motions it’s harder for me to take note of the good.
Monotonous weather is right! We are on our second consecutive snow day and I am finding the snow monotonous 🙂
I’m so glad you had a good time in Florence!
What a wonderful round-up of this week’s FIGs… I’ve enjoyed seeing everyone’s post pop up so much and you did a wonderful job summarizing it all here! It truly lifts my spirit. There is so much to be thankful for every day!
Thanks for participating and it truly warms my heart SO much to know people are collectively basking in the glow of these shared gratitude moments.
This is such a labor of love, Elisabeth, and I appreciate all the time and effort it takes to pull it together! This was just a DELIGHT in every sense of the word. And I concur with all of the great pet photos in this post. Put a big smile on my face!
Thank you. I really do love doing it (but also love when people recognize the time it takes). So, again, THANK YOU.
I don’t have a pet and I am HERE FOR ALL THE PET PHOTOS.
Wait a second, we do have Ferrari the fish and he does bring joy. I need to include him in one of my FIG roundups!