Thankful and Blessed

On Monday as I was racing around the grocery store I got a text message. I was half tempted not to  read it since it seemed that I had hit the store at just the right moment when it wasn't a madhouse. I glanced down and saw that it was from my mother, so I slid the message open.

Hey, good news! No sign of cancer. Bad news, gallstones. Oh well. Nothing to do about that til there's a problem.

I dropped my phone and sobbed into my hands. No sign of cancer. Months of prayer, months of worry. No sign of cancer.

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I am so thankful for my dad beating this. For him staying strong and not giving up.
I am thankful for my mother, who is way more badass than she gives herself credit for. She has gotten through these last 11 months, rarely asking for help, and supporting my dad all the way. And with a grace that I'm not sure that she thinks she had.
I am thankful for my aunt, who in moving to Colorado, has brought new life into the home that they all share. Some of that life is four-foooted and furry, and it is good.
I am thankful for my daughter and her new husband being there and the new relationships that are forming, away from the relationships in the shadow of us, the parents. I am thankful for their faithfulness to God and how he is blessing them, abundantly, as they start their new life together.
I am thankful for my brother and his family who have been so supportive of our parents. And my nieces that bring  smiles to faces when they enter a room.

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I am thankful for my amazing husband. He works so hard for us and is so generous. I'm thankful that he loves me beyond measure, faults and all.
I am thankful for my #1 son. He is 14 today. He challenges me every day and I am a better human for those trials. He is musical and artistic and gentle and kind.
I am thankful for my #2 son. He makes me laugh and despite his stature is also gentle and kind.

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I am thankful for my husband's family. They have given me so much and stretched me to grow in places that I didn't know I needed growth. I'm thankful for the babies that we get to smooch on when we're together. Thankful for being able to guide nieces in some small way, sister-in-laws that welcome me in, and a brother-in-law that can be counted on.

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I am thankful for friends. Friends who, despite our busy schedules, can pick up right where we left off. Friends that open their homes to us. Friends that let me vent, knowing that I'm being irrational, and let me get it out anyway. Friends who I can let my guard down with. Friends who don't judge me for my foul mouth. Friends that know when a glass of wine isn't just a nice way to end the day, it's a necessity. Friends who trust me with the hard stuff. Friends who, despite the miles between us, answer text messages and will spill it to me by text so we remain relevant to each other. Friends who make coffee dates a priority, weekly. Friends that live in my computer yet still support me and my family every day.

And for you. You, the friends that come here, to read about my crazy yet average life. I am thankful for you too. Even the ones that don't often comment. Thank you for letting me tell my story to you.

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And last, but certainly not least, I am thankful for a God that sent his Son that we might have abundant life, beyond measure. Because without Jesus, none of this would be possible.

I wish for all of you to have such a full and happy and rich life. xoxo