Skip to main content

I have so much to be thankful for...

There has been so much "stuff" going on in my life lately. Between loosing my job in August, the never ending custody process we are attending to, the normal challenges of being a parent, trying to maintain a happy healthy relationship with my husband while I am going to school, homework and internship woes - it is easy to go to a place where I feel encumbered. Overwhelmed is an understatement today.

Today I turn 35. My morning started with a grouchy husband who was running late to work, me rushing around the house trying to prepare for our journey to my parents for the holiday weekend, finding a brand new container of ice cream in the refrigerator instead of the freezer and a crying spell in the middle of the kitchen. Not exactly what I had hoped my birthday would be like. But as trudged to the bus bundled up with tear streaked cheeks enjoying the quietness in the frigid fall air, I realized how blessed I am. This year has brought me many wonderful gifts.

My first full year of marriage - what a gift! It wasn't perfect, what ever that means, but it was a good foundation for a long life together. We have worked really hard to create space to grow as individuals and as a couple. It's really quite lovely.

I've had more time with my stepson. I have felt so blessed to have him in my life. I have formed a safe and loving relationship with him. Don't get me wrong, being a parent is hard work and being a stepparent brings its own set of challenges. But I really do love him and enjoy watching him grow into an even more wonderful human-being.

I completed my first year of graduate school. It has been a challenge balancing class, homework and internship with the other aspects of my life, but I did it. I have also learned a lot about myself and who I want to be as a therapist. I have had some great experiences and learning opportunities and over all wouldn't trade any of it.

My friends continue to be amazing. I have been so blessed with wonderful people in my life. This year we have welcomed new babies, become homeowners, watched relationships bloom - grow - and end, together. We have held each other during times of sadness and loss, as well as whooped and hollered at our successes. Through the magic of Facebook, I have reconnected with long lost friends and through the School of Social Work, kickball and new jobs have made new life long friends.

There aren't words to express how wonderful my family has been. Long phone calls with my mom, dad, brother, sister-in-law and grams have helped sustain me when I wasn't sure what to do. They always have the right words to prop me up, ground me and help me move along in my journey. I thank the universe daily to come from such smart, funny, compassionate people.

So yeah, I have many many people and opportunities to be thankful for this year. I hope you all know who you are and feel my love and appreciation of you. And if 35 is half as good as 34 was, I will be doing alright for sure.

Comments

  1. And I'm very thankful for you. I know we don't talk much, but I read your blog and follow you on Facebook and you always have very interesting, honest and wise things to share. I value having you a part of my life.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Blissful Bites #9

Following the lead of the lovely  "other Liv"  I experienced a handful of wonderful suprises this week. 1) My mom called me from the road and asked to pull in for the night, with my pa and three little nephews in tow! They were traveling back from Idaho and thought it would be fun to camp out at our house for the night. It was a lovely summer evening that had four little boys running through the sprinkler, eating ice cream cones, gathering around a campfire and then drifting off to sleep in a giant pile of sleeping bags. 2) We got our final bid from Community Energy Works of Oregon and have applied for our loan!  In just a few short days we should know if we will get new insulation and water heater.  This is so exciting for us.  Without this program, I am not sure we'd be able to get this work done any time soon.  3) The Hubs and I spent one evening cleaning up the remnants of the shed remodel.  This is the shed that we got free on Craigslist and with the assi

There are so many reasons why I should hate this photo, but I don't.

I participated in a photo shoot for an event called the #suitupcampaign.  It is the hope of the woman organizing it to have a more varied representation of body types in swim suits, which would in turn  invite other women to feel comfortable "suiting up" for summer if they saw bodies that looked like theirs.  I was asked to submit a picture of my suit and so I set out to take a couple selfies.  As I was going through them and I started to notice something; I looked beautiful. As a fat, white, cisgender, femme-presenting, often mis-identified queer woman who is currently partnered with a cisgender man, I have received many messages about my body over the course of my life. From a very young age my body was labeled as fat.  I understood the resounding message that my worth was directly tied to in how much space I was supposed to take up in the world.  I understood that it was always open season on my body - from family, friends, doctors and even strangers.  Sometimes couch

Little blue jacket!

I am so incredibly in love with this new Torrid white label dark wash cropped jean jacket. It is probably my most favorite new piece of clothing. I'm never sure how things are going to be, since Torrid doesn't often carry size 5 or 28 in the store. When the jacket arrived and I pulled it out of its plastic and was instantly in love. It's the perfect weight for spring and summer and the fabric is buttery soft which makes rolling the sleeves a brief. I think it will be a great layering piece in the fall as well. It looks hot with all of my skater dresses and empire cut tops. It's definitely become my go-to piece and I would recommend it for anyone.