Like everyone else, this week has had me thinking about the blessings in my life. And especially now, with all the chaos in the world and the economy, I suspect it's especially important for us to remember those things aren't the sum total of our reality.
I'm grateful for my kids. I'm grateful my son is in a wonderful group home and can learn limits and social skills he hasn't before. I'm grateful my daughter is doing so well in graduate school and is such a marvelous young woman!
I'm grateful for my dog Sophy and the way she makes me laugh, even if she does like mud a little too much. (See her blog post about it here: Sophy's Dog Eye View of the World.
I'm grateful my ex and I are on good terms.
I'm grateful for my friends—whether here in Austin or all around the country.
I'm grateful for my fellow writers and the chance to offer my writing classes online. I'm grateful for the chance to share what I know and to learn from my fellow writers as well.
I'm grateful for my house.
I'm grateful for Austin and the rain we're getting now as well as the blue skies and sunshine and warmth we get most of the year. I'm grateful for all the creative people in Austin and everyone else as well—it's a terrific mix.
I'm grateful to have enough to eat and clothes to wear. (A friend's mother made the observation that we are rich if we have things to give away—whether money, food, clothes or household goods. A great way to look at life and so very true!)
I could go on and on. And some days I do. Realizing how much I have to be grateful for is a good antidote to fear or worry or jealousy.
Here's hoping each of you has your own very long list of things to be grateful for!
