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What I'm Grateful For

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By Rena
With 2021 almost coming to an end, it's time to reflect on what I've done this year, and set goals for next year. 

2021 has been a wonderful year to date, and I'm grateful for the many things that I have. 

1. Being healthy and alive

Being alive and having the health to do the things I want is the thing I'm most grateful for. Living is the best gift. There's just so many possibilities as long as you are alive. 

2. Being a Singaporean living in Singapore

As the pandemic drags on, and worsen in many parts of the world this year, I'm just glad to be in Singapore. 

In some of the overseas offices that my colleagues were working at, some were down with COVID, and they shared with me how they had to purchase oxygen tank and treat themselves at home. To them, it's not about getting a bed in the hospital to get treated, but rather to get their hands on the oxygen tank. While we can definitely do better, I'm just glad I'm at home in Singapore.

3. Having a financially compatible partner

Financial concerns are among the most common sources of disagreement among couples. 

For my partner and I, we are financially compatible. We do share similar overarching belief about money:
  • use it to buy what you need and love
  • spend within your means
  • have some buffer.

We manage our finance without any joint account. When we were married, all our accounts were not joint, so why bother to join them after marriage. If we need to pay for shared expenses, it's basically divide and conquer. For some items like groceries, it's basically paid by whoever who buys it. At the end of the day, it doesn't change my life whether he pays for the stuff or me. 

We don't meddle into what each of us spend our money on. I trust his money management skills, and he trusts mine. It doesn't matter what our spending priorities are, but as long as when we need to pay for large expenses (e.g. housing), and we are able to work out how to do so, you are free to spend money the way you want.


4. Supportive partner

While I was travelling for my job (prior to the pandemic), my partner was supportive, even if it meant him looking after the kids alone while I was away. Recently, I made some drastic career moves, and he was all supportive. 

At the end of the day, while we are married to each other, we each have our own goals that we ourselves want to achieve. And I'm glad I've a partner who respects my decisions.


5. Having good natured family

My kids are a handful. It's tough teaching them, it's exasperating that they mess up the whole home after I have cleaned and tidied them. Sometimes they are naughty. But these kids are really kind, and helpful to me. When I need help, I know I can ask them to help out (within their ability).

If I quarrel with my parents and my sibling, probably they will hold a grudge against me who knows for how long. 

When I quarrel with my kids or my partner, they will not hold a grudge against me the next day. 

I'm glad I married my partner. This family that I've chosen and created is so  lovely. 


6. Don't need to worry about money and necessities

And I'll always remember not to put my situation into one where I need to worry about these.



7. Living in the information age

How nice that we can find almost anything online. Can't fix a tap, watch a Youtube video. Want to learn programming, you can learn at your own pace on Udemy. Want to do research, you can do it at home. In this day and age, you learn and find out more on things on the internet. 

Isn't this amazing?


8. Freedom of choice

I have a lot of freedom. 

I can choose my career, choose whom I want to be with, what I want to do, where I want to go to, how I want to do something and so on. And I'm really grateful for this freedom of choice. 

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