Grati Estote

For those of you who don't know (don't worry....I didn't either until I used Google Translate), my blog title is "Thankful" in Latin.

I feel like I've been so caught up with everything going on in my life right now that I have forgotten to be grateful and thankful for all of the wonderful things/people in my life. I've become so engrossed with work stress, the emotional toll writing a book has taken, this medication change (which has been quite the uphill battle I'm still tackling), general life stressors, and now a new medical condition (which I'm not fully ready to discuss as we are still in the process of testing and identifying the exact issue at hand), I've found myself more depressed and negative than positive.

I think we as humans get so caught up with focusing on the negatives that we often forget to acknowledge the good in our lives. The everyday interactions with people that make us smile, the kisses and hugs we take for granted, the laughter that brings ease to our hearts. We have, as a culture, become so desensitized. We go through the motions of life without taking some time out to give thanks for all of the insanely wonderful blessings we are surrounded by each and every day. I know for sure I am one of those people. The type who always focuses on the negatives, the stressors, concentrating on everything going wrong.....instead of taking the time to be truly grateful for all of the things going right. So instead of writing a blog about any of the shit going on in my life right now.....I want to write a blog dedicated to the people in my life I am ever so grateful for.....for without those amazing blessings fighting the good fight would be fucking impossible.


My family:
They are such an amazing gift from God. My mother and my sister are truly my best friends. They make me smile when I need it, laugh when I don't want to, provide a shoulder to cry on without having to ask, and make life worth living. They are a constant support team. We have honestly had EVERYTHING thrown at us.....and no matter what we take it head on and come out stronger. They are my rocks.....and I am so beyond blessed to have them.

I was able to spend an amazing day surrounded by my family last weekend. Cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents. The whole nine yards. It was such a special day to me because I feel like my soul just needed it. I just needed to be surrounded by family to feel complete. To feel grounded. There is nothing more amazing in this world than the total love and support of your family. I feel like I don't tell them enough, see them enough, call them enough.....but I love them all SO very much. Without a shadow of a doubt God has blessed me with an amazing family....and for that I am thankful.

Friends who have become Family:
I must admit, I have been fucking blessed with the most amazing friends. Not to be confused with fair-weather friends (yes, at 28 I am still discovering and weeding those out of my life). They are the  extension of my family. My wonderful friends. They provide so much joy to my life. I appreciate and cherish these friendships because I know if I ever need, they would be there for me in a second. We all have lives, we have all grown up, gone our own ways....but I know deep in my heart that when we see each other again we ALWAYS pick up right where we left off. We genuinely love, care for, and appreciate one another. I don't have many of these friends.....but I don't need many. The few I have (and you know who you are), are blood. For them, I am so utterly thankful.


The main point of this blog was just to take some time to reflect on the people who truly matter. The people who make this life worth living. The ones who are there in a flash as my army of fighters.....helping me tackle whatever life throws my way and in the same breath helping pick me up when I've hit the ground hard.

I seriously believe in my heart we spend way too much time focusing on everything else life tosses our way.....and not enough time giving thanks to 1) God for every extraordinary blessing he has placed in our life and 2) the truly PHENOMENAL people we have surrounding us.

Take some time to give thanks. Make time to count your blessings. Focus less on the negative and smile more when reflecting upon the positives. We really never know what is in store for us. Our lives can change in a second.....so why not take the time out now to give thanks? Give hugs and kisses. Spend time with the people we truly cherish. Every day stressors will ALWAYS be there........but they are a lot easier to manage when our life is full of happiness and love......and amazing people to share that happiness and love with.

So now I leave you with this.......what are YOU thankful for?

"I can no other answer make but thanks; and thanks; and ever thanks" - William Shakespeare