I am thankful.

 It goes without saying, but I am especially thankful for my family today - my amazing husband and partner, Matthew and my precious baby girl, Brighton. 

Last year as we were grieving all that we had lost, I was reminded that a heart cannot easily despair when it is filled with gratitude. So every time I felt overwhelmed with sadness (which was multiple times a day for a while), I would list at least 3 things I was thankful for - sometimes it was as small as the shoes on my feet, a cup of coffee, a smile from a co-worker; other times it was something more significant like my relationship with my parents, the roof over my head, or my health. 

Making the effort to be grateful for all I had, both big and small, was a taxing effort in my season of sorrow, but it forced me to stop looking inward and notice all the beautiful things in my life. And choosing to be thankful slowly changed me - it helped mend my heart and ease my mind.

So today I want to say that I am thankful for my husband, my daughter, my parents, my in-laws, my friends, our church, our home, our dog and cat, my job, Matt's business, this blog and my readers, my restored relationship with God and last but not least, I am thankful for this past year of my life - this journey from heartbreak to joy and from loss to life. I am thankful for how this year has changed me, changed my marriage, changed my outlook, and changed my heart. 

I am thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving.