Made It Through Another Year… Where Do I Even Start?

I’m thankful for the sweet smell of coffee wafting through the house when I wake up in the morning, sunlight streaming through the windows in my bedroom and softly snoring pugs beside me as I open my eyes to a beautiful day.

I’m thankful for the recent rains we’ve had, probably more this month than the past three years combined. I’m thankful for the bounties from my garden and the gifts of eggy goodness from my chickens.

I’m thankful to be alive to celebrate this night, and by alive I simply don’t mean breathing and walking. I’m thankful to be laughing, exploring, evolving, and excitedly anticipating all the brightness that the future brings.

I’m thankful for the wide open road and all the unknown adventures it inspires. I’m thankful for the big open sky and all the thrilling possibilities it holds. I’m thankful to be here now, in this place and at this time.

I’m thankful to be at peace and in happiness and health. I’m thankful for good fortune, and for knowing that fortune is more than just money.

I’m thankful for all the opportunities this blog has given me, the learning, the writing, the meeting of so many like-minded folks from 8 to 80. I’m thankful for doing work that matters, that emboldens others to do the same. I’m thankful for those who embolden me in my path. I’m thankful for a book I still can’t believe I wrote, and the abundance of food I was blessed with all year.

I’m thankful for the comments, the emails, the tweets and the shout-outs and the incredible show of support from people I have never met. If I could, I would reach out to every one of you through your screen and give you a big bear hug. And for the friends near and far who’ve selflessly cheered me on and believed in what I was doing, I can’t even begin to express my gratitude.

I’m thankful to live in love. I’m thankful for the eight years I’ve had with my husband (it just keeps getting better!) and the anniversary we celebrate today. I’m thankful for the wonderful new family I have gained and the old family who has always been there for me.

I’m thankful that tomorrow, I get to open a new page and create my own story.