Thanksgiving

My life has done a 180 in the last year.  It's been a long year, but a year of self discovery and acceptance.  I meant to do the daily gratitude posts, but I'm rarely on my laptop anymore and for some reason I can't get Blogpress to like me anymore.  But since there are 30 days of November, I'm going to list here 30 things that I'm thankful for, in no particular order.

1. My girls.  Everything I do, I do for the betterment of our lives. 
2. My home.  I've downsized and this little house is perfect for me. 
3. My animals.  Those little faces that provide unconditional love. 
4. My IRL friends.  I've learned who I can trust and count on in the past year.  Priceless. 
5. An unexpected relationship that has brought peace into my life. 
6. For a full freezer and pantry.
7. The ability to run and (mostly) enjoy it. 
8. My job, which allows me to continue working around the girls' school and activity schedules despite leaving me with lack of sleep every other week.  
9. Realizing that *I* am important and deserve to not be an afterthought within my life; and the fact that this doesn't make a bad daughter, mother, friend, or girlfriend.
10. Coaching.  The opportunity the girls' gymnastics center has provided to train me to coach classes and the team girls in partial exchange for tuition has been priceless. 
11. My faith. 
12. My health.
13. Respect.  I demand it from those in my life.  I freely give it to those who have earned it.
14. Honor and integrity and truth.   
15. My online friends.  Without you? I'd have gone mad long ago.  :) Thanks for keeping me as sane as possible.
16. For the hot summer days, to help remind me why I love winter so much. 
17. Warm boots which keep my feet warm when working outside in the cold.
18. For the opportunity to teach my girls about raising animals and why it's important and worthy of being learned.
19. I mentioned those I love, but I'm grateful for those who love me unconditionally and without judgment. 
20. Coffee.  To which my days would be significantly harder to get through. 
21. Whiskey.  Is the new wine black.  :)  *cheers*, baby!
22. Seeing a little girl *glow* with joy at seeing her daddy for the first time in months.
23. Justice.  Because I was scared that it didn't exist anymore. 
24. For my hearing.  I get to hear the sound of a purring cat, the laughter of my kids, words that soothe my soul. 
25. For knowing my limitations and respecting them, but also being willing to go outside of my comfort zone and push myself. 
26. For understanding that the world is full of shades of gray.
27. For following the Boy Scout motto: Be Prepared.
28. For learning what I can control in my life and not internalizing or owning what I can't. 
29. For the future and all the things it will hold, especially the good. 
30. Unconditional love.  I mentioned it above, but it bears repeating.  Knowing that you are safe and your heart is protected by those in your life. 

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends.