A Thanksgiving Day Reflection...

As I've been thinking about the items I'm grateful for, I've decided this year my list is a little strange.
These aren’t all of the things I’m thankful for, just the ones that have been on my mind lately.
I'm thankful for the experience of losing one of my best friends at the age of 16. Although I would much prefer that he still be here, losing him changed my life in many ways. This year one of those ways became apparent in that I was that I felt better able to help my in-laws and husband with the loss of their son/brother. Although my best friend wasn't my brother, I would say we had a very close relationship, enough so that I knew what they might be going through. Losing someone is never easy, and everyone copes in different ways.
I'm thankful for the amazing world of medicine. The month of July started off this year being promising with the sale of the condo and quickly turned into one we would never forget. Again an experience I would much prefer not to have had, I appreciate very much the memories we made from something that started as a simple injury and turned into something much worse. I’m very grateful to have my husband still by my side and for the many doctors and nurses who helped make it so.
I'm thankful for a demanding job. It keeps me on my toes and allows me to interact and form relationships with people I’m sure I would have otherwise not met. This year as I’ve tripled my staff for Christmas I’ve been very blessed with an amazing crew who I value not only as employees but also as friends.
I’m thankful for blogs. This being the third holiday season living away from everyone, I’m more homesick than ever. I have a sister who posts fairly regularly and I check her blog daily. I very much enjoy the stories she tells and the pictures she shares. Being a person who hates talking on the phone, isn’t very good at writing letters, and lives 300 miles away blogs have an amazing way of helping me feel connected.
And last but not least…
How could I post a blog about things I’m thankful for and not finish with my wonderful husband. He accepts me completely for who I am and is amazingly supportive in all I do. One of my friend’s parents told me once that I’m a much different person than I was before I got married. At first I was shocked and a bit worried. She then continued to say that she’s never seen me so happy. My husband and I have been through many challenges, but being loved so unconditionally is a huge blessing in my life.