Monday, November 12, 2012

And for that, I'm grateful

At the start of November, pals across various social media channels like Facebook and Twitter began posting things for which they're grateful. I assume there's some connection to Thanksgiving, though it's possible everyone I know was infected by a rare virus that causes spontaneous gratitude, self-reflection, and anal leakage.

Not wanting to be left out, I've decided to share a few things that make me very grateful.

I'm grateful for my fellow-writers. I don't care if you're published or unpublished, if you're a longtime personal pal, or someone I've never met outside the online world. What I love most about the entire community of writers is the fabulous support among the tribe. Very few writers achieve success and say, "see ya later, suckers." There's always someone ahead of you on the career ladder who's still reaching back to offer a helping hand, a word of advice, or a glass of wine. Or even encouraging tidbits, like this post I spotted last week on Facebook at the precise moment I needed someone to remind me, "you are not the only writer who spends 95% of her time feeling like she has her head up her butt:"


I'm grateful for love and romance. Without these things, my career as a romantic comedy novelist would be going very differently. So would my personal life, which took several crazy turns in the last few years with my unexpected divorce and equally unexpected new relationship with my gentleman friend (celebrating 20 months together this Thanksgiving, thankyouverymuch). My gratitude for this relationship overwhelms me whenever we spend time together cooking dinner or walking the dog or working to make sure our new home reflects the best of both of us. Incidentally, this is what you get when a singer with a masters degree in theater and a fondness for whimsy creates a dining room with a romance author with an English Lit degree and a shared love of plants and animals:


I'm grateful for family. I'm thankful beyond words to have loving, caring, charming, funny, intelligent parents who've supported me every step of the way throughout my 38 years on the planet. And for my kid brother, who remains one of my best friends in the world, despite the fact that he occasionally defeats me when we play "name that butt rock tune in three notes or less." And my grandparents, two of whom are still alive and kicking (my grandmother kicking much more solidly since last week's total hip replacement, which I'm grateful went very well despite a drug reaction that caused her to be briefly possessed by Satan).

Obviously, these are just a handful of the many, many things filling me with gratitude right now. What are YOU thankful for right now? Please share!

6 comments :

Mary said...

I'm grateful to have a job that, while I might not love it, I certainly do enjoy the heck out of it.

I'm grateful for a fabulous, supportive family who deals with my quirks the best way they know how (to ignore them and ply me with drinks).

I'm grateful to be a part of a supportive online writing community who, even if we've never met in real life, sends positive vibes out into the universe and inspires me to keep writing, even when my shit isn't together.

Skye said...

I'm grateful to be alive and healthy and able to look for work, and to have the resources to look for work.

I'm grateful to have the money to live on while I look for work (but really, I hope to not have to spend it all).

I'm grateful to have friends in the online community who support me in my early attempts at writing again.

Debra Lynn Shelton said...

I'm thankful for you and all my writer friends. And for so much more. Think I'll blog about this as well.

Lisa Ahn said...

What a great post -- thank you! I love the headlight quote. So true.

I'm grateful, always, for stories and the endless twists they can take. I'm grateful for my beautiful spunky daughters, and my patient husband. And the dog. Even though he ate Rapunzel today. :)

Raley Blue said...

I'm quite thankful for bloggers who mention they also wonder if the online daily thankers might be infected with a virus that causes spontaneous gratitude and anal leakage. You had the guts to come right and say it. I really appreciate that. ;)

I'm grateful for my online writing friends and my Real Life writing friends, my grandparents, ALL my parents, and of course the children and the lovely man who made them possible with me. Most of all, I'm grateful to wake up each day and have a new chance at everything.

Dog Collar said...

Really, really good list. I could never imagine leaving my cats and dog behind either, but I know how easily that could happen. Thanks for sharing and glad you are safe!

Dog Collar