Thankful

I've been thinking alot about the things for which I am thankful. There are the little things, like chocolate and warm socks and a good book. There are the big things, like my family and friends. There are the material things, like medical insurance and reliable cars.

Then there are the intangible things; these are the things that are hard to list. The pleasure that I get from watching my children learn and grow and improve. The happiness I get from serving my friends and family and watching them as they serve those around them, including me. The love I feel for a wonderful husband who I love more than I thought possible. The knowledge that I have of a loving Heavenly Father who has a hand in my life.

I am so thankful for the life that I have, even when it's hard and even when I just want the day to end so that we can start over the next day. This past year has been a hard one for my family and still I'm overwhelmed by all the things with which we have been blessed. I am truly thankful for all of the blessings, big and small, that we have been given.

I'm hopeful that one day I'll be thankful for the hard things, too. I want to be able to recognize them as opportunities for growth, not just as crappy things that happen to everyone. I realize that it's up to me to get there, so I'm trying.

But for now, I'll stick to being thankful for all the good. That seems like a nice place to start.