Blessings and Thanksgivings

I know that given my current circumstances it would seem that I have little to be thankful for on this holiday. But the opposite is true. I am incredibly blessed, despite being unemployed and barely making it financially. Many people in my same situation would wail and moan about how life is unfair and expect handout after handout. But below are my Top 5 reasons to be thankful:







NUMBER 1: I have a healthy and happy daughter. At age 41, being pregnant was like walking around with a ticking time bomb strapped to my chest. Terror clenched my heart as I read book after book detailing the myriad birth defects possible in women of normal child-bearing age, much less those of advanced maternal age. All the odds were stacked against me, but when she arrived, the Pie was perfect…and I mean PERFECT! She has no developmental delay, no health issues, and no learning difficulty. I am blessed every day simply by her presence in my life. I am profoundly thankful for her innocence, her intelligence, her wacky sense of humor and her very sweet heart.


NUMBER 2: I have rediscovered the child inside me and feel so grateful for the opportunity to stare at a moon in a dark sky and wonder what it’s made of, or to make believe I am a sleeping queen that can only be awakened by the kiss of a beautiful princess. Quite simply, I am thankful for the ability to play.


NUMBER 3: Many of my closest friends and family are aware of the struggles I have had over the past couple of months, and I am thankful for their support and encouragement. Several have offered generous financial assistance and without those gifts, I could not have gas service restored, or even remained in our house. On my behalf, a couple of friends have petitioned their churches for help and I have been so deeply touched by the kindness and generosity of those organizations. Total strangers helped us pay bills and buy groceries; mere words cannot illustrate how touched I am by the gesture.


NUMBER 4: During my unemployment and subsequent plummet into virtual abject poverty, I have been referred to several local agencies that have been able to help with utility assistance, clothes and food. I ask that if you are able, please donate to organizations such as these because they really do help those in the community who are in need.


NUMBER 5: I am thankful for the opportunity to wake up every day and face whatever challenge lies ahead of me. Mopping the floor, scrubbing the toilet, picking up the building blocks off the floor for about the eighty thousandth time…all these things and more give me purpose and help keep me from sliding into a depression that I may not be able to escape.


I know that something grand and fulfilling awaits me in the future, but in the meantime, I’ll just continue to count my blessings….