Are you ready for my list? Here goes:
In August, I had a procedure to take care of my thyroid nodule. The big nodule. It went really well, but I had to rest a lot.
In September I started school, then I got sick. I had to miss school. My husband went to pick some things up for me, and another car hit our car while he was on his way home. :(
October was filled with trying to find a new car and struggling to stay up with my homework at the same time. All three of my children contracted a virus that made them each miss at least three days of school and break out in weird red spots.
November started with another illness, closely followed by my grandma's funeral, closely followed by another illness, this time with me puking my guts out.
Guys! That is not all!
Last week our cat was acting weird like he'd been injured, so my husband took him to the vet while I was at school. My husband texted me to say that Chewie had a severe infection and that he needed a procedure done and that he might not live through it.
Cue sad music.
I spent the rest of Wednesday night worried that I was going to have to tell my kids that Chewie died from a horrible infection. I can't tell you how relieved I was when my husband said the words, "He's alive."
Also, the holidays are coming.
This semester has been one of the hardest and craziest for me to bear. I keep falling behind on homework. I have no idea what to do for my midterm presentation. I write every paper pretending I know what I'm talking about because really my heart is just not in it. Last week, I kind of snapped.
And then I regrouped.
I told my husband that it was time for me to make a change. All I had been doing for the past few months was complain about everything. I'm very good at complaining, by the way. Not that I should be bragging about that. But with Thanksgiving coming up, I started really thinking about how I could put a positive spin on the last few months. Here goes...
1. My husband was not injured in the car accident. I am super, super happy that he's alive and well.
2. We ended up getting another car, one that has more room for our giant children.
3. I am more fully appreciative of how awesome it is to feel well.
4. I am grateful for when my children feel well too. Not only do I need their help, but I love seeing them smile.
5. I am grateful for doctors. Also, my doctor is amazing.
6. I am so incredibly lucky to have had not two but three amazing grandmas. I miss my Grandma Baldwin, and I now miss my Grandma Doris, and I am super happy that my Grandma Hansen is still with us. I'll keep her as long as I can. All three of them have shown me tremendous amounts of love.
7. I am so glad my husband was able to find Chewie so he could take him to the vet. If he hadn't found him, Chewie would have died during the night. I am also glad that our vet knew exactly what to do and how to help him.
8. I am so grateful for professors who understand that I have to go through hard things. Not all of them are so understanding, but for the most part, I have had a good experience while dealing with life and school at the same time.
9. I am really, truly, gratefully happy that my cat is still alive and doing better. I can't tell you how much I love it when he rubs his face up against my hand or curls up next to me when I don't feel well. He's amazing.
10. I could not do any of this without the support of my family. I love my husband and my kids for putting up with me, for helping me, and for being there no matter what through this whole crazy time.
I don't want this to be didactic. Instead, I want to share my gratitude with everyone. The world really is full of good! That can be so hard to see sometimes, and I think it's important to have hope for the future. Life is not always fun. Life can hand you not only lemons, but a pile of poop to go with them. But you don't have to hang onto that stuff. You don't have to carry bitterness around with you when you can find joy. And I'm not talking about putting on a fake smile. Don't do that, because people can see right through that. Nope. Instead, I am up for the challenge of trying to find real moments of joy.
And hey, if you catch me whining, you just go right ahead and remind me not to be so whiny.
Love and joy,
Mandy
In August, I had a procedure to take care of my thyroid nodule. The big nodule. It went really well, but I had to rest a lot.
October was filled with trying to find a new car and struggling to stay up with my homework at the same time. All three of my children contracted a virus that made them each miss at least three days of school and break out in weird red spots.
November started with another illness, closely followed by my grandma's funeral, closely followed by another illness, this time with me puking my guts out.
Guys! That is not all!
Last week our cat was acting weird like he'd been injured, so my husband took him to the vet while I was at school. My husband texted me to say that Chewie had a severe infection and that he needed a procedure done and that he might not live through it.
Cue sad music.
I spent the rest of Wednesday night worried that I was going to have to tell my kids that Chewie died from a horrible infection. I can't tell you how relieved I was when my husband said the words, "He's alive."
Also, the holidays are coming.
This semester has been one of the hardest and craziest for me to bear. I keep falling behind on homework. I have no idea what to do for my midterm presentation. I write every paper pretending I know what I'm talking about because really my heart is just not in it. Last week, I kind of snapped.
And then I regrouped.
I told my husband that it was time for me to make a change. All I had been doing for the past few months was complain about everything. I'm very good at complaining, by the way. Not that I should be bragging about that. But with Thanksgiving coming up, I started really thinking about how I could put a positive spin on the last few months. Here goes...
 |
| Silver Linings |
1. My husband was not injured in the car accident. I am super, super happy that he's alive and well.
2. We ended up getting another car, one that has more room for our giant children.
3. I am more fully appreciative of how awesome it is to feel well.
4. I am grateful for when my children feel well too. Not only do I need their help, but I love seeing them smile.
5. I am grateful for doctors. Also, my doctor is amazing.6. I am so incredibly lucky to have had not two but three amazing grandmas. I miss my Grandma Baldwin, and I now miss my Grandma Doris, and I am super happy that my Grandma Hansen is still with us. I'll keep her as long as I can. All three of them have shown me tremendous amounts of love.
7. I am so glad my husband was able to find Chewie so he could take him to the vet. If he hadn't found him, Chewie would have died during the night. I am also glad that our vet knew exactly what to do and how to help him.
8. I am so grateful for professors who understand that I have to go through hard things. Not all of them are so understanding, but for the most part, I have had a good experience while dealing with life and school at the same time.
9. I am really, truly, gratefully happy that my cat is still alive and doing better. I can't tell you how much I love it when he rubs his face up against my hand or curls up next to me when I don't feel well. He's amazing.
10. I could not do any of this without the support of my family. I love my husband and my kids for putting up with me, for helping me, and for being there no matter what through this whole crazy time.
I don't want this to be didactic. Instead, I want to share my gratitude with everyone. The world really is full of good! That can be so hard to see sometimes, and I think it's important to have hope for the future. Life is not always fun. Life can hand you not only lemons, but a pile of poop to go with them. But you don't have to hang onto that stuff. You don't have to carry bitterness around with you when you can find joy. And I'm not talking about putting on a fake smile. Don't do that, because people can see right through that. Nope. Instead, I am up for the challenge of trying to find real moments of joy.
And hey, if you catch me whining, you just go right ahead and remind me not to be so whiny.
Love and joy,
Mandy
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