What I’m Thankful For

This Thanksgiving, it’s important for me to reflect on what I’m thankful for, particularly in light of the last year and the next few months. I have had to live a minimalist lifestyle because of the financial stress of a divorce and will need to put my home up for sale next month, which will no doubt be stressful and could be a tumultuous transition. So reminding myself of the positives is especially important this holiday.

I am thankful for:

• My health (with the exception of my wrists, which have been a bit messed up for 3 months)
• My physical fitness, which I have worked hard on over the past 2.5 years
• Still looking relatively youthful for my age (which I’m hoping continues to hold!)
• My job, where I have a superb boss and great colleagues
• My union, which fought for (and delivered on) a living wage
• The handful of close friends that I know truly care about me
• Having found a gay pickleball league this year, which has provided a great community and given me a new activity that I’ve been able to excel at
• My fiscal responsibility in my earlier years, which has given me the resources to be resilient through a difficult financial period
• My ability to be disciplined and persevere through challenge
• My sewing machine and the tailoring skills I’ve picked up over the past year, which have allowed me to greatly expand my clothing options
• The new family members I discovered earlier this year through Ancestry DNA testing
• The skills I have learned and experience I have gained over the past several years that have allowed me to become a more well-rounded person

I know that these bright spots vastly outweigh the challenges in life and the importance of keeping them at the forefront of my mind. This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for what I have.