Thankfulness

I guess since my DH did his wonderful 'what I'm thankful for' I should at least pretend to have some appreciation for my life up to this point.....and yeah that is sarcasm :)

Family, can't live with 'em, can't kill 'em ...God goes so far as to say we HAVE to love them...eek! For the most part, easy as pie (have you ever made a pie?)...I love my kids with ease and abundance...except when I want to strangle them (which is suprisingly, not very often). They are truly good kids who I'm enjoying watching grow up into good people. I like being around them and will miss them terribly when they leave (unless of course they stay and then I will complain to my freinds about what leeches we have raised :).

My extended family, I love dearly (hey sis!) ...and even those I don't like (and there's only just the one) I do love and pray for (constantly). I am fortunate to have one parent, my Mom, still living (miss Dad terribly) and I'm finding myself more and more appreciative of her every single day. She is a loving, giving, goofy storytelling, heck of a great gal....we are SO glad you are still with us Mom, stay healthy!

I am also incredibly blessed to be married to a man who loves me without reservations (and I give him plenty). He is kind, generous, hard-working, funny, smart (he would SO clean up on Cash Cab!) and everyone (who matters) genuinely likes him....how cool is that!?!

I serve a loving God, who (so far) has not abandoned me (and I have definitely given HIM cause to). He has on more than one occasion, literally given me reasons to live. And somehow, even when I don't feel like getting up in the morning, He pulls me outta bed and shoves me out the door to face another day. Even if it's just to make pancakes for the kids or get to the bank before another check bounces, the responsibilities of our lives are sometimes what we live for, and I am thankful to have them.

Happiness differs from Joy, it comes and goes....anyone who thinks that life is supposed to be happy every day is in for a huge letdown. Joy comes from the Lord and is not dependent on circumstances. I'm not one who has ever been able to 'be thankful in all things'. I find it almost impossible to thank God for the bad stuff...but I CAN be patient in the midst of bad stuff. I can, mostly, find something to be thankful for....husband, kids, family, photography...a really good movie on late at night (Doris Day and James Garner in 'Move over Darling')...something! And I will try to get back on track....I will try to find Joy.

I'm thankful that at the age of 50, I'm finally starting to figure things out....I'm starting to "know what I knew then". I'm sure there are plenty of hard years ahead (my daughter turns 14 next week... you do the math) but I know my family and my God will be here (OK, I truly only know that God will be here, but I'm not going to think about living without my family unless I have to...so there).

God Bless You all!