THANKFULLY BLESSED LIST: FRIENDS

4. Friends

New ones and old ones, the ones that remain through it all. Pressure counts for a lot, makes diamonds and breaks coals.

I'm thankful for this time, and all the other chapters in my life when something highly intense happens. I am shown what my friends are made of and who they are. Adversity brings out the worst in people, it's true. But it's when the best in people shine the brightest.

I am thankful, deeply grateful for the blessings that have come my way through these people; who, but for a chance meeting or quirk of circumstance, would have been total strangers, not bound to me by blood or other, more tangible relation.

These people are the ones who restore my faith in the human race; replenishing the hope that maybe the world is not going to end anytime soon, that the spark of human kindness continues to burn in the heart of this cut-throat, modern civilization.

You guys know who you are. And in case I haven't told you enough, THANK YOU.

***

Thus ends my THANKFUL series. Of course there are a lot of other things I'm thankful for. The experiences, for example. I've been taught a lot of things over periods like these. But above all, these are the things I'm truly thankful for.

What are YOU thankful for? Have you conted your blessings lately?

THANKFULLY BLESSED LIST: OONA

As promised.

There, but for the grace of God, go I; as the adage goes.

I was feeling terribly down yesterday and because I refuse to totally succumb to a black mood, it got me to counting my blessings. I'll be posting this as a series as it's too long to post in one go!

1. My child.

Oona was an unexpected Christmas present.

Every time I see her antics and her four-toothed smile, I can't help but feel wonderfully, totally blessed. While maybe it's true that a child at her age can't help but love the people she's with (if they are capable of categorizing things like this at this age), babies and children in general, seem to have that infinite capacity to love.

They're so intense.

A smile, brilliant as the sun, as good as yells, I LOVE YOU! All caps, bold and underlined. With little flashing lights and a big red arrow. It's as intense when they cry, of course. But it's amazing how, when you're the focus of that smile, your whole world stops, flowers bloom and sappy as it's getting, but you can swear that angels laugh along with her.