Being Thankful

The definition of Thankful is feeling or expressing gratitude; appreciative.  

"Throughout history wise men and women have encouraged us to feel grateful for what we have.

Why? Very simply because gratitude makes us feel good. When you're feeling grateful, your mind is clear, and therefore you have access to your greatest wisdom and common sense. You see the big picture."

- Richard Carlson, Ph.D., (1995)

Today I realized I am not nearly as thankful as I should be and I want to change that.   I want to show the girls how thankful  I am for everything daily so they will live the same way.   I am so thankful not just for the BIG things but the small things and I need to spend more time being thankful for them.  I need to get into the habit of writing in my gratitude journal.  I am blessed with two amazing little girls who both have amazing Best Friends.  And in the way of best friends the girls really picked some great ones.  I don't think I could have picked better friends for them.  Forming forever friendships is one of the best things, I think I was Kyrie's age when my best friend stopped being just a friend and became my SISTER!!!!  I know the girls were not given the same luxury as I had of having a best friend from like day one, and even though we don't see each other as much as either one of us would like, have gone big periods of time without talking it doesn't affect us.  I also had to explain to Kyrie we can have more then one best friend.   

        I have an AMAZING Church, whom without my Church family I would have packed up and left Maine a LONG time ago.  Our Church makes me feel so welcome and blessed and I have spent more time with my Faith since finding it.  And I believe that it has brought Seth and I closer together.

       I am always thankful for Seth, even when he drives me bonkers.  He gets me and it takes a lot to get me.  He has patience even when I don't.  Not just dealing with all things but dealing with me.  These past three years have been some of the hardest in my life.  Leaving my home, my family, my friends and moving more then a two days drive away from it all.  I've made new friends, and I have Seth's family but the South will ALWAYS have my heart, it will always be my HOME!  Maine hasn't changed that and I don't think it ever will.  I am PROUD to be a Southern Girl, proud our daughters were born Southern girls!  With in the span of a little more than a year I lost not one but two AMAZING women in my life and I shattered.  Not many people knew how much I was rocked by it all because I kept it to myself.  I can no longer be the person everyone wants me to be, I have to be ME!  Now if you don't like it so be that way but I am who I am like it or Leave.  What will I be teaching the girls if I can't be ME!  

          I am finally to a place where I want to be HAPPY again.  My life is not what I wanted, I am far from HOME, but I need to be Happy or I will never be able to rebuild myself.  And a big start to that is being thankful for all those little things I don't think about as much.

I just need to remember 

"This is my temporary home
It's not where I belong.
Windows and rooms that I'm passin' through.
This is just a stop, on the way to where I'm going.
I'm not afraid because I know this is my
Temporary Home."