Thankful

A totally corny and not well-written reflection on my lucky, fortunate life! But I just felt like saying it!

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Sitting in my little retreat room (really, calling it my "office" just doesn't convey what it is to me...) thinking how grateful I truly am.

I am grateful to have a daughter like Amalia, who makes a warm, loving atmosphere and takes care of everyone in her circle. She is one of the most giving, nurturing people I have ever known, besides being a wonderful and talented and beautiful actress.

And I love knowing that Abby is on the Greyhound bus, riding from the Alpaugh, CA, area to Los Angeles tonight to be with her big sis for Thanksgiving. And we're so proud of Abby and the work she is doing with Americorps, and equally proud of her humor and pluckiness in the hard work she is doing, and the way she is adapting to life with her "Silver 1" team.

I love that Adam is going to be with our friends Linda and Peter for Thanksgiving tomorrow. When you make friends when you are young, I don't think you could dream how wonderful it is to have those friends 35 years later, and have them treating our son as if he is their family.

And, we're so proud of the man Adam has become, the fine work he's been doing in Rep. Baron Hill's office, and the flexible and adventurous attitude he has toward finding new work now, since Hill (way, way unfortunately) did not win the election. And equally proud of the kind of friend Adam is to those in his circle.

So, my heart is just overflowing with gratitude, for wonderful friends and family, for the warmth of hanging out with my mom often, chatting and watching tv; for texting back and forth and calling and being in better touch with my sis, who is brave and so overflowing with love for her Eric as he goes through a journey with leukemia; for the humor and kindness of my sweetie, as we learn to be "empty nesters" and adapt to new patterns. It is a very sweet time in our life together.

And grateful for my dearest girlfriends who will walk with me and help me to get healthier and who will listen to me sometimes telling the same story over again...and give me good advice...

And grateful for the friends who make life at work so rich and friends who journey with us in our synagogue and make a warm community of caring and fun and learning in so many ways.

And as I look out my window to the house next door, I am so grateful that we got wonderful new neighbors who are so much fun and so kind, and it's so much fun to have their little girls next door...we are actually lucky to have a bunch of really great neighbors!

And I am grateful for Facebook and email and my iPhone, which make staying in touch so easy and fun...

I am one very lucky woman. And this week, when I had to have a second mammogram because they thought they spotted something unusual in the first mammogram...and when I spent a couple of days worrying, although everything turned out to be fine...but it made me realize even more how very lucky, how very blessed, my life is.