Thankful?

You bet. And then some.

Patrick Henry Reardon said "Suppose for a moment that God began taking from us the many things for which we have failed to give thanks. Which of our limbs and faculties would be left? Would I still have my hands and my mind? And what about loved ones? If God were to take from me all those persons and things for which I have not given thanks, who or what would be left of me?"

What indeed?

I have never thought about it quite that way...I don't believe I have ever given thanks that I have legs and am simply able to walk. Or that I have arms and am simply able to hug my children. Or that I have a beating heart and am simply able to live...and love.

Despite the challenges of the last year - and believe me there are many - I'm abundantly blessed and more thankful than I have words to express.

A few...

I'm thankful to have a husband to weather the challenges with. Both self-inflicted and accidental. :-) It's okay that not everyone gets us and it's okay that sometimes we don't even get us. But we "chose" and I will forever be thankful for that. I'm thankful to have my kids. That seems like a no-brainer but with the recent stuff in Nebraska it makes me realize that some people aren't. My two wild boys make my heart feel warm and whole. Sometimes when I look at them I can't believe I get to raise them. I'm thankful for my amazing parents. They will never know how lucky I feel to have them and to have a relationship with them. My children are blessed to have them for grandparents! I'm thankful for my in-laws. Despite the natural challenges with blending families, I'm grateful to have married into good people that have good hearts. I'm thankful for my extended family - for my grandmothers who keep on trucking, my amazing aunts, uncles and cousins. I'm thankful to be of sound mind and body. I'm thankful to have a roof over my head and food on the table.

...And mostly, I'm thankful to have a seat on God's train. I'm thankful to just be a passenger.