grateful

I am grateful for my family.

My hubby (hereinafter called Dennis, like Dennis the Menace - he's a bit of a prankster) and my daughter Olive are two of the greatest people I know. We have so much fun together, just hanging around the house, running errands, wreaking havoc. Sure, we have our moments where we all get fed up with each other but we also have some really great times where we look at each other and can do nothing else but smile and laugh. These are the times that make life worth living. It's the little things...

I have a dear friend who has two young children that have both been battling separate health concerns. She has been in and out of the hospital with them and spent as much time with doctors lately as she has with her kids. When I'm having a moment of frustration and feeling sorry for myself, I try to think of others. Many others are going through much tougher times than me and it makes me feel grateful for health, home, and happiness. So if today you have a moment where you want to scream, think of all the people who are having a really tough day, and maybe you can pause long enough to give your loved ones an extra hug and extend your patience. I know this helps me.

**As an aside - please notice that hubby is referred to as Dennis and daughter is called Olive - these are fun, endearing names that describe their unique personalities. Real names have been changed to protect the guilty, so please refer to them by their "fun" names in your comments. Thanks!