Grateful.......

With everything going on lately I have to remind myself to stop and be thankful and grateful for the amazing life I do have. In the midst of the month of thanks trend on Facebook one of mine was to explain a situation I was thankful for or an experience. I had to say cancer. It is not a pretty thing to deal with on a daily basis, it sucks, it takes a toll on my family, my friends and myself. It presents situations that create grand amounts of stress, uncertainty and fear but it has also taught me to step back, realize what is in front of me, and NOTICE my life rather than just living it. 

I am not always positive, or kind. I am not perfectly content with illness, the mark it has left on my life or the people I hold closest. But I have learned with my back against the wall it is OK to NOT be picture perfect everyday.  This was a huge lesson for me to learn. My life and identity was not wrapped up in the image I wanted to send out. It was in my heart all along. I had to dig deeper to let that show more often since I had been hurt so many times. Just like everyone has. 

Remind yourself of the positive times, embrace the family that is surrounding you and savor the simple things even for a day. I know I am going to.