Counting Blessings

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I have to confess: I'm troubled. The news depresses me. There are some terrible things happening in the world. In general, I try to avoid it, but sometimes I come across a story that just horrifies me.

It's very easy to get overwhelmed with sadness. I mean, anyone with a soul of any kind would have trouble. So I'm going to use this space right here to count my blessings.

1. Healthy happy child, number 1: 

Look at that happiness!

I know I'm very lucky. I was 32 and had pretty much stopped thinking about having kids after it didn't happen... and then SURPRISE! Here comes this boy. I can't believe it's been almost 5 years.

This little boy is my buddy. He comes up to me for no reason and says, "Mommy, I love you A LOT!" He says hilarious things several times a day (and I quote him on Facebook to share his hilarity). He is a sweet, smart boy and I must never forget what a huge blessing he is to me.

2. Healthy Happy Child, #2:

"I'm in a box!"

It's a similar story. I was incredibly thankful for my son, but kind of wanted a little girl. But I realized I was getting older, and it wasn't very likely. Then, another SURPRISE! I got the little girl I always dreamed about (now I have a complete set!)

She is heading into the "Terrible Twos" (I shouldn't even call them that), and is already quite challenging. But she's as sweet as she can be. And she's also showing signs of her brother's clever wit. Another reason to be thankful every day.

#3. My health

I work on a college campus, and it never fails. If I'm feeling grumpy about something, or starting to have a pity party, I notice a student walking by who is blind and using a stick or a guide dog to get along. Or a student using a wheelchair.

My own brother has a form of muscular dystrophy that caused degeneration. As a child, he was able to run and play, but the disease got worse, and by the time he was a teenager, he was confined to a wheelchair.

I try daily to be thankful that I have the ability to move freely, to run, to exercise, and am basically very healthy.

There are so many more, but I'm going to go ahead and stop at three. It's funny- just listing these three blessings right here has improved my mood greatly.

So, I want to challenge you. Can you list three blessings right now? They can be small or big. You can either post them in a comment, or just keep them to yourself. But please, do it. I guarantee it will improve your day.