Thankful

I'm trying really hard to focus on Gratitude this 

month, because IN SPITE of everything, oh darn

you everything, we STILL have so much to be grateful

for.

Here's the short list:

Friends

Family

People who visit us at chemo

People who bring us lunch at chemo

Kids who make good grades

Kids who "step up to the plate"

Good music

The fact that Kyle is STILL HERE

And doing well

And responding well

And alive

And cleaning bathrooms

Fall leaves

Wonderful nurses at the Huntsman Cancer Institute

Doctors

New online friends who form support groups for

the wives of CC patients

Love

Hope

Faith in goodness

Faith in hope

The fact I have a job

That I've learned some sign language and

to love autistic kids over the past few months.

Seeing goodness in spite of pain

Laughing

Telling jokes

Having a dog that sits on my kitchen counter

for head rubs (Don't even ask!)

Food

Shelter

Clothing

Heat

Running Water

Toilets and Showers

A warm bed at night

Friends that support us in unexpected ways

A husband who still loves me after 23 years

Children that forgive me when I'm sad

The 4 kids that we've been blessed with

Emails from strangers

Instagram

Facebook

A good book

Conan, who makes us laugh

The fact that I'm in school again and smart enough

to have done well, so far.

Sunny fall days

Falling leaves 

Mountains

Sunsets

A Goldendoodle named Ruby (who would say she

should be at THE TOP of this list--don't ask--our

dog 'talks'.  Don't ALL dogs 'talk'?)

Texts

Emails

Love

Family

Kyle

Josh 

Grace 

Eliza

Oliva

Sisters

Brothers

Parents

Hot chocolate

The little things

Things that matter

Fabulous Vietnamese sandwiches from Oh Mai 

(go there-you will NOT regret it!  Order the Rib Eye #8)

Grandparents

I read a note from someone this week who decided

that so many things in are our lives are so unimportant, and

when it all boiled down to the things that mattered,

the THING that mattered most, it boiled down to LOVE.

Plain and simple.

Love for each other, our fellow human travelers 

along this journey of life.

Looking out for each other, taking care of each other,

reaching out for those in pain, comforting those

in need of comfort.

Love.

That's the one thing, the only thing, in ALL the

things piled upon things piled upon things, that

really matters.

It's all about love.

Love one another.

All you need is love.

And we're thankful that we are loved.

Thankful.