I located this graphic online while searching for just the right 30 day Instagram photo challenge, and felt it would make for a great 30 day BLOG challenge - and since I am clearly a blog failure these days, a bit of competitive motivation may just be the ticket to get my wheels turning again.
So with that, here we go...
Day one of thirty: Someone You Love
It is hard to narrow this down to just one person I love for whom I am grateful...which is of course, not a bad problem to have. At this point in my life, I am simply surrounded by love - one decision I feel that came instinctively the moment Grant was born, was the decision to only surround him with love. The fact that this means I too am only surrounded with love, is a happy result of the decision I made on Grant's behalf.
I am, of course, especially grateful for Matt, with whom I now share my home, my life, my before-bed ice cream, and my baby boy. He has definitely demonstrated to me that at the moment in your life that you are ready for someone or something, life has a way of delivering. I wasn't looking for Matt. I wasn't looking for anything or anyone; I was existing happily in my world, working my ass off, starting fresh with a new job and a new apartment, in a new city...technically even a new state. And what was intended to be a casual, friendly plus one to a wedding, has turned into 14 months of complete transformation, and what I can literally only describe as bliss.
I think that part of the experience of real love is someone providing for you what you didn't know you needed. I have always been fiercely independent, and I would never have been consciously aware that I would be in need of something that I couldn't get for myself. I never would have thought that by escorting me to a wedding as a family friend, Matt would change everything about my life, and all for the better.
I am still the same fiercely independent person, with a pretty strong desire to do what I want, how I want, where I want - but the past year has taught me that being with someone who loves you, doesn't actually take away from that. Matt helps me make decisions, but he never tells me what to do. He weighs in, but supports my choices. He is considerate, thoughtful, engaging, and ultimately helps calm my brain as it spins off its top.
Most importantly, though, Matt is right by my side - always - as we successfully raise our tiny human. And so today because it is my blog topic (but every other day because he's awesome), my heart is thankful for Matt.
2016 has been a bit of a shit storm.
Read: Donald Trump was elected President of the United States, and everyone in the world with a vagina, realized how worried this should make us.
Anyway, when you have a year that is a total zero, it can be really challenging to remember all the things you have in your life to be grateful for. When this blog asked me for ten things I am thankful for in 2016, I was like...ten?!? What the fuck man...haven't you heard the news that Mike Pence is our new Vice President?! How can I possibly find ten things?!
It took less time to think of ten, however, than I initially thought it was going to. Because the reality is, that despite the terrible impending presidential inauguration, and despite all of the chaos, the shootings, the celebrity deaths that have happened in 2016, there is still no shortage of things I should be (and am) incredibly, deeply grateful for.
1. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to live with my best friend, and that we had such an awesome six months of best-friend-roomie time before she moved out (and I moved in another roommate who was awesome). Kattie and I finally bit the bullet and rented a two bedroom apartment together, despite fears that her cats would torment Juno. We spent six months eating Thai take out or Chinese delivery while working on property financials, watched Teen Mom in our jammies, pulled hilarious pranks on one another involving a large, wiggly purple dildo that suction cupped to literally any surface, and used the money we were saving by living together, to take several fun long weekend trips together.
For the record, Juno was the one doing 99% of the tormenting. Because she's a dick.
2. I am grateful for my Thanksgiving weekend trip to Pacific City, both the days I was there alone, and the days I was joined by Stacey & Blake. It was so great to have the alone time, great to have the peace and quiet to read and sleep in and lounge around in my jammies. But it was just as great to have the five-year-old tornado show up, to share my holiday movies with him, take him on a stormy beach walk, and drink wine with his mama. It was a perfect reminder that I can make or break my own holiday traditions.
3. I am grateful for Top Ramen. Because we all need to have comfort food sometimes.
4. I am grateful for my girlfriends, who have - for another year - reminded me what friendship looks like. It's hard to be a girl. It's hard to find girls to befriend who have no hidden agendas, or who aren't total bitches. Men don't really understand that - like, it is really hard to be friends with girls. So the fact that I have a tight-knit group of women who support, love, and encourage me...is something I am truly grateful for.
This year, last year, and surely next year.
5. I am grateful for my family - yes, all of them. The good, the bad, and the ugly of my family dynamic has shaped me. From a side of my family I don't have a strong relationship with currently, I still have plenty of wonderful childhood memories. From the side of my family I do have a relationship with, I have ongoing wonderful memories. I have enjoyed quality time with my grandma this year that I haven't had in the past, and I am grateful for all of it. I am fortunate to have parents who I can have fun with, talk to, and ask for help - not everyone has that, and the more people I talk to, the more rare it seems to have the mom and dad I have, who are really there to pick me up whenever I fall.
6. I am grateful for my strong voice. The voice that was finally able to express my concerns to my family, though they were not well received (unless a total freeze out means something is well received). The voice that has been able to stand up for right and wrong through a horribly exhausting presidential debate, and a voice that has had no fear of standing up for people who are being horribly mistreated. I am grateful that I can speak up.
7. I am grateful for Juno. She's my favorite. And yes, I am aware that she's a cat...that doesn't mean I like anyone else better than her. I don't. I like her better than any of you.
8. I am grateful for my job. Even though there are days I really hate it, I am glad to work in an industry where I am respected (usually). I appreciate that I am not one of the many people out there who wake up every day and dread going to work. I like my property, I love my team, and I enjoy the 40+ hours I spend each week with them.
9. I am grateful for silver tequila.
Obviously.
10. I am grateful for 2016, in general. Despite it being awful in many instances (MIKE. FUCKING. PENCE.), it has still been a year with many positives. I survived a property sale in one piece, got a promotion, earned two raises, stood up for myself in many, many situations, went on vacations, paid off all my bills, and enjoyed a lot of wine with a lot of good company. I had a roof over my head, I spent time with my family, and didn't spend thousands of dollars at the vet. I am happy and healthy, and so is my family. And most importantly, so is the cat.
Because again, I do like her better than any of you.
