Happy Thanksgiving

I am alone this Thanksgiving. My kids are at my sister's apartment in Texas, waiting for me to get things ready for them here in Colorado. It's almost all set up. I have a job that gets me in the door in the career I want. I get to move into my apartment next weekend, and I'm driving down to Texas to get them two weeks later. But, for now, I have to spend the holiday alone.

I'm thankful that my kids are all healthy. And since they are, I'm thankful that they're also smart and beautiful... but if they weren't, that would be fine. I'm thankful for my friends and my dog who got me through this. It was difficult to leave my girls behind and try to start a new life for us. It has made me a huge emotional wreck at times, but I bowed my head and powered forward through the pain. It wouldn't have been possible without my friends, the people who let me live with them when I had nowhere else to go and those who just loved and supported me however they could, even if they didn't realize it at the time. And I would spend far more hours lying in bed feeling sorry for myself if not for my dog.

I'm thankful for my mom and my sister, who are taking care of my children right now and I'm thankful for the money I've been able to send to help them every month. I'm thankful for the job I was given (or maybe I earned) even though I still feel like I can't do anything right there. I'm thankful for my many understanding and supportive coworkers.

Of course I'm thankful for the car that gets me to work, the heat that keeps me warm this season, the food I have been able to afford, clean running water, clothes to wear, soap to clean myself and everything else, a bed (or a couch as the case may be) to sleep on, the sun in the morning and the moon at night.

There are a lot of things to be thankful for and I doubt I could ever think of all of them. But when I think of how hard my life has been, I can't help but also think of how charmed it has been compared to that of people my age in so many other places. It's not perfect, but it's mine... and it's good. And I am thankful.