Count Your Blessings . . .

I got bad news yesterday from a relative. Really heartbreaking and shattering stuff. It makes me grateful for the big and small blessings in my life. So in that vain today I shall count my blessings. Here are but a few (in no particular order of course):

• Health - I am able to move and breath and run and do whatever I please without pain or sickness. Granted I have struggled to get pregnant but I have faith that this too shall happen in time. The older I get the more cognizant and grateful I am. And somewhat surprised considering all the reckless and stupid stuff I've done.
  
• Family - This is what I am most grateful for when I close my eyes and say my prayers. It's only through dumb luck that I was granted access to this dynamic and odd and lovely group of people. They help me, they infuriate me, they make me laugh, they put me in my place and most importantly they have taught me how to love and what love feels like. This is an inadequate articulation of how wonderful and happy they make me.
• Chai Lattes - As a non-coffee drinker this little gem has opened my world to yummy warm deliciousness especially in winter. It's like pumpkin pie in a cup.
  
• Dogs - I was raised in a home full of pets. But our main pets were always dogs. At one point my family had 5 dogs and was raising 2 litters of puppies. It was heaven for an adolescent girl. Today I am the proud owner of a spoiled Maltese with bad manners. She is fantastic and brings new friends and long walks and joy into my life everyday.
• Technology - As a freshman in college I was assigned an email address. None of us had any idea what this was - we used to email the people sitting next to us - we were that clueless. Today I am lost without my 'phone' that brings me emails, news, directions, gossip, calorie counters, music, movies, sudoku and anything else I could possibly need or want. As long as I'm in service range.
• Paper - Oh how I love smelling books, sending cards, making invitations. As much as I love technology and email nothing makes me smile more than a card or letter or invitation in the mail. I'll always be old-fashioned in this sense.
• Clouds - I can't stop taking pictures of clouds. I think they are so fascinating and beautiful and haunting. I appreciate that they reside in the skies. I hope that as I cast my eyes heavenward - all those I can no longer reach are smiling down on me reminding me to keep my head up.