Right now, I am sitting on my couch after having not one, but two delicious Thanksgiving dinners, and I can’t help but think about how thankful I am. I could probably write out a list of 100 things that I am so grateful to be blessed with in my life, but I’d rather share the three most important things on my list.
1. Family and friends
I have definitely been blessed by the people I have in my life. My husband is such an amazing man. I can’t believe how lucky I am to have found someone who really gets me and actually enjoys being around me all the time. If everything else was gone, having him would make it all alright.
My family is full of wonderful people who I love so much, both on my side and my husband’s. They support me in everything I do and are just fun to be around. My sisters are some of my very best friends and I love being around them. They are always making me smile. I love that I can go to family gatherings and not dread it or wish the whole time that it would end. I enjoy every opportunity I get to spend with them.
The friends in my life are some of the most genuinely good people you’ll ever meet. They’re great to talk to and joke around with and they’d drop everything in a second if you needed them. And I would do the same thing for any one of them. One of my friends got me the job that I’m in right now and I am so grateful that she’d be willing to put herself on the line in order to help me out. So many of my friends have been supporting me in my race next week and I can’t even explain how much that means to me.
And I’m blessed to have gotten to know all of you. The people I have met through IBD and ostomy groups has been inspiring and I am humbled by the support of those I’ve met right here on this blog. I count you all as friends and I hope to only get to know you better and meet even more of you.
2. Health
I’ve always been thankful that things have not been worse than they were and that I wasn’t in a hospital bed somewhere. But this is the first year I can very honestly be thankful for my total health. Having my surgery this year has changed so much for me and opened up so many doors and I can’t describe the freedom I now feel. I would never have even hoped to be able to run a half-marathon before this surgery and now I’m merely a week away from that goal.
3. Life
Beyond just being healthy, I’m thankful that I am alive today and that I have a life with a purpose. My faith in Jesus has helped me through a lot of things and while we’ve had a rocky relationship over the years, I know that He has guided me daily. I hope to become a better example of Him. I’m thankful for this life He has given me. It has not always been easy and at times I wonder “why me?” but in the end, I know this was the path I had to take. I hope I use it to make a difference.
I can only hope that each of you have things in their life that they can be equally as thankful for. I pray that you take the time to remember the important things in your life. Here’s wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!