Feeling Grateful and Counting My Blessings

I am humbled by gratitude today. I haven't sat down and counted my blessings in a while. I think this is a fine time to do so.

Don't get me wrong, it's been a difficult day. I've been awake since 2:00 a.m. due to early morning stomach issues and was busier than a cranberry merchant at work today. However, I was thinking about my life on my drive home this evening. While it's far from perfect, it's pretty darned good.

I have a great husband, family and friends who love me, stepchildren and grandchildren who include me in their lives, a mom who is in good health and still worries about me, a solid home that is warm in the winter and cool in the summer, reliable transportation and the ability to take myself anywhere I'd like to go, a good job, and apart from a well-controlled chronic disease and a bad knee, I'm pretty healthy. There's enough money in the bank to buy the food I don't grow myself, and I can pay my bills. I have the kind of relationships with my boss, coworkers, and CEO that most people would love to have.

My writing community is strong and supportive. I belong to several writers' groups that continue to educate and support my creative endeavors. I have developed beautiful friendships with some of the most talented people I've ever met. My writer friends are a huge part of my life, and I would be lost without them. My groups have afforded me fantastic opportunities to grow my skills and network with other like-minded people. Becoming part of this exciting industry has enriched my life in ways I could not have imagined before I joined my first group.

I've had plenty of struggles. Bad decisions were my standard operating procedure for a few years while I was in my twenties. With a lot of help, a ton of love and support, and a healthy helping of stubbornness, I was able to figure things out and turn my life around. It wasn't easy. It wasn't quick. Most worthwhile things in life aren't.

We all have obstacles beyond our control thrust into our paths from time to time. How we handle them is a personal choice. I had a huge obstacle dropped on my head around seventeen years ago that required a difficult decision. I've told the story about leaving my last job before, so I won't bore you with the of all of the details now.

Long story short -- seventeen years ago, I was downsized by my company. I had two choices. I could stay with my employer of five years with reduced wages and work twenty hours a week, or I could move on and find a different job -- one that was full-time with benefits. I went with the second option.

It hasn't been a bed of roses, but my current employer has been good to me. I have earned promotions and raises. They've entrusted me with important and sensitive projects. My agency has made me a better person. I'm more compassionate, as well as more assertive and self-confident. I've learned a great deal about home maintenance and building technology. I'm not afraid to pick up a hammer or drill. Dealing with the state government and our other funding sources has taught me diplomacy and the importance of choosing my words wisely. Most importantly, I feel valued and seen by those in power.

Of course, I am extremely grateful for you, my Ozarks Maven readers. I appreciate you tuning in each week to check out my musings, seeds of wisdom, and efforts to share joy. You make this endeavor worthwhile. Thank you!

I have much for which to be grateful. I'm extremely blessed.

Have you counted your blessings lately?

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