Gratitude

Thank you for the people who have walked into my life.  The ones who comfort me as I cry.  The ones who have practical solutions when I can't see through the fog.  The ones with referrals.  The ones who share life's lighter side as a distraction.  The ones who check in and make me feel less alone.  The ones who don't judge and just accept.  The ones who encourage me in my growth.  The ones who inspire me.

It is these people that have made my burden lighter in so many small ways that make such a huge difference.

Thank you for the beauty of our world.  The rain on my walk yesterday that seeped into my soul and cleared my vision.  The birds I have chased, observed, photographed, and co-existed with.  The waves of the gulf that soothed.  The colors and textures of flowers that drew me in to the present moment.  The butterflies that made me still in hopes of not scaring them away.  The vastness of the canyon that gave me perspective.

Thank you for me.  I look in the mirror at my familiar face and I see the person I was, the person I have become, and the person I want to be.  I see someone who is unique and special and has value.  I see someone who has learned to accept the good and the bad despite how hard it may be at times.  I see all the ways life's challenges have shaped me and strengthened me.  I see someone that I know will be okay, someone I know will find a way to thrive no matter what tomorrow may bring.