There are many reasons why I could complain on my blog today, but I won’t. I’m just going to take a few moments in 2021 to discuss the things I’m grateful for and why.

I am grateful for things and people that make me laugh. Not laugh at them, tauntingly or painfully. Laughing as in laugh till you cry, pee your pants, or even just the tiniest giggle. Being mentally ill for as long as I’ve been, I’ve used laughter as a means of coping. Even in such a dark time as when the fire fighter was nearly above our roof using his ladder and the fire burst through the roof. In that moment, I laughed. I laughed so I wouldn’t become destroyed. I even noted in society mentally ill or not, we all do it. Remember when Jeffrey Dahmer was found to be the cannibalistic serial killer in Milwaukee? Jokes erupted in the fabric of society. The one I remember the most: What shampoo does Jeffrey Dahmer use? Head and shoulders… Humor helps me make things less painful. And as evidenced in that very dark joke – I’m not alone.

I’m grateful for family. While my family isn’t perfect, it’s mine. With my new awareness – I feel a greater sense of appreciation for them. And hopefully maybe a better relationship can form as a result for us. It’ll take time, but I’m sure something can happen.

I’m grateful that I work at the hotel that I do. Without Aloft, I’d never have learned that people actually do enjoy conversing with me. My awakening never would have happened. Although working at the front desk was truly out of my comfort zone, I’m managing it in the early stages.

I’m grateful for the environment and the critters large and small that benefit it and us. The trees, the birds singing, the deer walking through the park across from where we live. I just wish I could save them all from being hit, hurt, or mangled. I cannot begin to express how much nature means to me and that I’m finding a way to take better care of it, one step at a time.

I’m grateful for my new couch. Yes, it sounds weird. Why? The old set up was two recliners with a storage piece between. I can’t cuddle with my husband on a split situation like that. Last night I felt him kiss my neck and he ran his fingers through my hair. That would have involved some very complicated processes on our prior set up. And for that moment, by this blog… I’m locking in time.

I’m grateful for anyone who reads this blog. I only hope that in this span of time, you too can find gratitude. Even if it’s one small thing. There has to be something as minimal as the air that you breathe. Take a minute to contemplate and remember… Life is not all pain. Even the pain becomes worth it, some day.