Grateful

I have been stuck in the house for almost two weeks with sick children. It's cold, snowy and not yet near the end of winter. One can get kind of loopy in those circumstances, so I thought I should take a moment to focus on some of the many blessings in my life.

Here are ten things I am grateful for today:

1) A warm home (even if others disagree that 65 degrees is warm!)
2) Food in my belly and to offer my children (even if it is not always the food they want)
3) An extremely loving, compassionate and patient husband (who puts up with far more emotional dysfunction than he probably bargained for!)
4) Life! I am especially thankful in this month of January (my birthday, anniversary of Roe v. Wade) that my mother (young, unwed, didn't have her act together, etc.) chose to continue with the pregnancy and give birth to me (even if my life was not "normal" growing up).
5) The overall health of my family
6) The love in our home (even if we don't always demonstrate it perfectly)
7) My Catholic faith
8) My babies, who are teaching me every day what it means to love, sacrifice and grow
9) The ability to walk and do things for myself
10) Being a woman, respecting all of our life changes and loving that I am different from men

Hope you can all see the blessings in your life as well, even amidst the moments of struggle.