25 Days of Gratitude

I had my Christmas rant the other day and it was after that rant that I decided to turn the tables. (It must have been one of my clearer moments under the influence of pseudoephedrine).

Instead of bitching for the next three and a half weeks, why don't I take note of all the GOOD that I have? And since I've now signed up for the 2006 Holidailies (a commitment to post at least once every day during the month of December) - I'll just share my daily dose of gratitude with all of you :)

Before I go any further, a big thanks to Alex for her post here yesterday through the blog exchange. It was a perfect segway into my 25 Days of Gratitude. She also brought a great, new audience to my site and I've found a new mom friend, too! It was my first time participating in the blog exchange and I'm so glad I did :) Can't wait for next month's prompt.

So I guess that takes care of what I was grateful for on Day One: the blog exchange, new friends and great discussion. See how easy this is?

Now onto Day Two - Today I am most grateful that Cheryl's dad is doing OK after having suffered a heart attack in recent days. I did my daily read of her blog this morning and was shocked to read the news. It was the last thing I expected and all I want to do right now is fly to Wisconsin and give her a BIG hug because she is my friend and because she is the "strong" one in the family. She is the one who everyone else looks to, the one who soothes and tells everyone it's going to be all right. Yet, this is her father we're talking about and I know she's scared, as she should be; I know she wants to scream and cry and have someone comfort her for a change and I wish I could be that person - but once again distance prevents that.

I remember how upset I was years ago when my father had a minor heart attack. I was devastated. My father and I aren't as close as we once were - physical and emotional distances are great - but of course I don't want anything bad to happen to him. I cried mostly about the uncertainty of it all. Many of us take our parents for granted, I know I do, and we expect them to be there for us until they're old and grey. Not everyone gets that though. Which is another reason I wish I could hug Cheryl right now. She knows what it's like to lose a parent and I know it must terrify her to be faced so suddenly with an event that could have caused her to lose the other one.

I am praying for you, Cheryl, and for your dad. I will think positive thoughts - like when he used to drive us in the brown van to Boston to stalk the New Kids (remember playing leap frog on the highway with Danny? How about that picture of the five of us at the end of one of our Boston excursions all posing for our group photo in front of the brown van?).

I don't know what will happen next, but I do know that she will make it through because she is strong - one of the strongest women I know, and for that I am grateful as well.