thankful thursday... keep on living!

Since I know that Cyndi is waiting patiently for this morning's edition of the blog... I'll go ahead and get this entry written... *grin*.... I love my friends~!

It's been a trying time for me lately - as you well know because I whine and complain a lot. Yet, I'm completely honest when I tell you that my spirits are high this morning. I feel so much peace... and I think that's a precious gift, the ability to find peace in the midst of a storm. I'm thankful for that feeling... that although I'm tired... I'm not defeated.

I'm grateful for my job. My boss has been compassionate and concerned... my co-workers have been wonderful... nobody has been hateful to me about the time I've missed from work. It means the world to me... I know my absence has increased everyone's work load. It felt good to be back at work yesterday. I worked about 6 hours... eventually the pain brought me down. I sipped sprite zero to keep the nausea under control... but when I got to the point that I found myself STANDING at the computer because it hurt too much to sit... I knew I had to go. I was grateful to make it that long. I'm hoping to work the WHOLE day today.

My Bitty boy is such an ungrateful kitty... after that beautiful tribute to him yesterday...he somehow managed to slip out last night. It was super cold... below freezing... so I'm sure he's one miserable kitty right now... missing mommy's electric blanket. But he's a gypsy and he's an animal and although I yubs him... (love him, for those who don't speak kitty cat)... I know he's just doing what God created him to do. We can domesticate these fur babies only so far.

Stubby wants you to know that he is thankful this Thursday that he's once again an only child. Goofy boy has been doing happy streaks... living like a king... and honestly... I slept better last night without the boys fighting off and on all night.

My weight FINALLY went down yesterday... it was 182.5 yesterday morning... so it seems that the plateau is busted. Not being able to keep food down is a great diet trick. Just kidding. I don't recommend it. Actually... what I have been able to eat hasn't been the healthiest... when I'm nauseated I crave greasy and spicy food. I don't know why.

Yesterday morning started off really rough... just battling to find the strength to go to work was enough... but then Austin missed the bus. Yikes. I had to abandon the glam routine in the middle of the process and settled for a low bun yesterday. I fixed a protein drink to try to get some nutrition in me... (thanks Cyndi but I couldn't keep it down... one sniff and I was retching)... and then on the way to the school, Austin tipped over my big water mug and spilled water all down my car seat... I was sitting in a puddle of ice water the whole way to work. You know what I did when the water was spilled? I laughed. Yep. I laughed. My poor kid just knew I was gonna blow my top at him and I laughed. Because - really - you reach a point where you say, WHAT ELSE?

And of course, as my boss pointed out, things like not having cute hair and wearing a wet dress will keep you humble. Because... after all... I need a little humility in my life, right?

It just made it that much more precious when I was able to get home... slip into warm cozy clothes... take a little vicodin to ease the pain... and know that although I hadn't accomplished everything I wanted to during the day, I had accomplished/survived a lot. Two good friends texted to check on me... and I felt warm, safe, mellow and loved. God is good.

Today is the fifth anniversary of the death of my friend Natalie's husband, Michael. Michael was an incredible man of God who served Him with all his heart and soul... but Michael battled bi-polar disorder and the manic phases were out of control. Michael feared the impact of his disease on his wife and their beautiful daughter, Jorjanne... and so he chose to end his life. Natalie and Jorjanne are two of my favorite people in the world and a testimony to how you can take a tragedy and use it to make you better instead of bitter. I'm so blessed to have them in my life and I'm thankful for the example they live every day. Jorjanne wrote me a very sweet thank you note last year and I have it tacked to my fridge... I just love them so much!

It's such a small world... Jorjanne's teacher is a girl that I grew up with... two hours away in Riverdale... and not only did we grow UP together... we cheered together in 9th grade. When I figured this out and told Jorjanne she giggled... I mean... it's funny enough to think of Aunt Heather as a cheerleader but her TEACHER was a cheerleader? Too much!

I think ... what I'm most grateful for today... is that life does go on. No matter what gets thrown at us, whether illness or death of a loved one or something as simple as ice water down your dress on the way to work... life is going to go on regardless of our troubles. We have a choice to let those aggravations/disappointments/tragedies either get us down, keep us discouraged and defeated... or we can just. keep. going. I'm thankful today that I'm still going strong... and i hope that wherever you are, whatever you're facing... that you'll find something to be thankful for today.
Love and hugs!