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#ThankfulThursday Happy #Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my U.S. readers! Today’s the set day in our country for which we sit down with family and friends over big meals to give thanks for all that we have. My family celebrated on Tuesday because I was scheduled to work today, but that doesn’t mean I’m not still going to observe the tradition of thankfulness on this day celebrating gratitude. Here’s a list of all the things I’m thankful for this year:

  • We have our very own place to call our own, with our very own kitchen that we don’t have to share with anyone else.
  • I’m still employed and helping my family regain our financial foundation.
  • Our van still works and provides us the mobility to get from Point A to all our other points in life.
  • My children are more than spoiled by relatives — they have much to be thankful for (and to clean up).
  • We’re enjoying four seasons.
  • My community loves and supports us.

May your Thanksgiving (or ordinary Thankful Thursday) be a day of appreciation and gratitude!

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#ThankfulThursday Visiting the Zoo

Capybara!

Today we went to the Chattanooga Zoo with my grandparents. We spent a lot of time together looking at all the animals — leopards, peacocks, various primates, and of course the capybara. I’ve grown a fondness for the adorable 3.5′ tall creature that resembles a guinea pig. And this little guy at the zoo was more than cooperative today. He seemed ready for a photo-shoot, which was good — I was itching to capture his cuteness. Unfortunately, I forgot the camera and had to improvise with my phone’s camera. I’m just extremely grateful I had a means of taking his picture and got to spend quality time with my family. We had a lot of fun looking at all the animals and petting the goats in the petting zoo. I also enjoyed having lunch with my grandparents at a great local restaurant (The Terminal Brewhouse has some gluten free options and wonderful homemade root beer). I hope your Thursday was filled with many things to be thankful for!

Who, me?

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#ThankfulThursday #Cultivate2012

It probably sounds too egotistical, but I’m incredibly thankful for my inner brilliance showing through finally. Maybe it’s all the Hemingway literature I’ve been devouring, maybe it’s the inspiring new people I’ve been reading, or maybe it’s the inspiring people who are encouraging me. Whatever the reason, I’m grateful that I conceived of the Cultivate project, and I’m grateful that you’re following me down this path. Life feels like a good story at this moment — you don’t know where it’s going next, and you can’t wait to read on to find out more. I’ve got two days off in a row tomorrow, and you can bet that I’ll be spending some quality time with my family making memories and crossing items off of our lists. I haven’t felt this good about the start of a new year in a while. The last time I felt this good about the start of a new year, I ended up doing something epic. Considering how awesome that turned out, I have a strong sense of hope for 2012. I’m exceedingly thankful for the fresh start this year has offered me. While to some it’s an arbitrary change, to me this feels like a second chance to seize hold of my dreams — a second chance to build that better life, starting right now.

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Thankful Thursday: Coming Clean

On Tuesday, I dropped a few f-bombs and came out about my husband’s bipolarism. In the three years of running this blog, I’ve been fairly tight-lipped about my husband’s condition based on the stigma society attaches to this disorder. People don’t view mental illness the way they view things like diabetes or cancer. I’m grateful for the work that Bring Change 2 Mind does in raising awareness and breaking down the stigmas associated with mental illness. I’m even more thankful to Kelly Gurnett of Cordelia Calls It Quits for sharing her own experience with bipolar disorder.

Now, it’s not like every day is a scary, horrible day with Brian. It’s not like what you see on TV or in movies that demonize those who suffer from bipolarism. He’s not a threat to society like the stigmas would lead you to believe. Actually, when he’s in a low, he’s really just a threat to himself — any harm caused to others would be a result of him causing harm to himself. He takes medicine to treat his condition, much like he takes medication to keep his triglyceride levels in check. It’s really not all that different from taking medication to prevent seizures (actually, his mood stabilize is an anti-seizure medication as well) or to control thyroid hormones. He regularly visits his psychiatrist to evaluate his treatment plan, and he visits a therapist once a week. Just like anyone with a health condition, he does what he needs to do in order to keep his disorder under control.

Today, I’m thankful to say that I see no reason why this should be kept secret from everyone else — after all, he’s my husband and a very big part of my life. He’s a very wonderful, loving person, and his presence enhances my life. I’m thankful knowing that there are others who suffer from this same condition and still lead fulfilling lives. Mostly though, I’m thankful to get this off my chest.

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