Gratitude

It's been a while since my last post.  I have been so busy with work and life that I have had a hard time coming up with anything interesting to write about.  Perhaps this is a good time to give a shout out for all the things I am grateful for.  So, with no further ado, here goes...

Things I'm Grateful For

(in no particular order)

• Followers.  I noticed this morning that I have a new follower which means that I now have 60!  This is really exciting for me.  I truly appreciate the support and advice that I receive from your comments as well as from following all of your blogs. Sometimes it is easy to feel all alone when you are going through this and knowing that I have an army of sisters (mostly - I think there are a couple of guys) out there going throught the same thing is somehow comforting and helps sustain me when I am feeling frustrated with my slow losses, or have questions about what I am experiencing. You all make me laugh, you make me cry, and you educate me in ways that I did not know were possible.  So, this year, I am grateful for all of you.
• Weight loss.  I lost a whopping  1/2 lb. this week.  It is not a lot, but given the endless orgy of food I am surrounded by at my office lately from homemade fudge and cookies to catered lunches and cocktail parties it is a small miracle that I have not gained.  I give a great deal of credit to my band for keeping me in check.  I am still trying to determine if I am over-filled but I suppose if there was a time to be, this is it.
• My job.  After struggling through 9 months of job hunting and endless interviews it is nice to finally have somewhere stable to come every day.  I work with a great bunch of people who are good at what they do and are easy to get along with.  That is a small miracle in and of itself.
• My family and friends.  Yes, they may be crazy and they stress me out on ocassion, but I know they are my biggest supporters.  I know that when I am in a jam, I can count on them to help me out or provide a comforting word.  And, while I have only shared my news about the band with my mother, husband and best friend, I know that many more would be supportive if I let them in.  I just guess I have to go at my own pace.
• The roof over my head, clothes on my back, food on the table, and the car that I drive.  While I might hate - and curse - my location (I now have a 75 mile round trip commute to the office every day) I have to be grateful for the shelter, the warmth, and the comfort of having a home and all the things I need when there are so many out there that are struggling to keep or find the same thing.  I would be supremely arrogant of me not to recognize how fortunate I am to have the things I have.  It is my most fervent wish that everyone be so blessed.  

And, as much as I like this time of year because I think it provides a wonderful opportunity to reflect on all our many blessings, I am really looking forward to the new year and not having quite so many temptations staring me in the face.  So, perhaps one of the thing I am most grateful for is that this smorgasborg will end soon!

I hope you all are having a wonderful Monday as we approach the last couple of weeks of this holiday season.  What are you grateful for???