Project Reverb prompt: “What are you so grateful for? How did you count your blessings in 2014?”

I write a post every Friday with a list of all the things I’m grateful for. Last week I was on retreat and didn’t know how good my internet connection would be, so I didn’t post one for the first time in 137 weeks. I discovered later that I did have an okay internet connection, and posted a few Reverb responses, but I didn’t remember Gratitude Friday until Monday, so decided to wait. Lucky me there is this chance now. I have so much to be grateful for…

• Making the choice to get another dog. It was hard, a close call, not for sure at all, risky, but now we are so glad we did it. Ringo is such a comedian, so independent and strong willed, can be so sweet and has helped us heal as much as we can from Dexter’s loss. And in my humble opinion, two dogs really are better than one.
• Finally, finally, finally figuring out what’s been wrong with Sam. At the beginning of the year when we first brought Ringo home, we thought we were close to having to let Sam go. He was so miserable and no one could tell us why or how to help him. Now we know that he has sensitive skin on his mouth prone to infection and a food allergy that we are working to identify that leads to chronic ear infections. Poor dude also got diagnosed with Pannus, which can lead to blindness, but does mean he gets to wear these cool sunglasses. (We’re still working to convince him that there’s anything cool about his Doggles).
• Finishing yoga teacher training. A big part of that is having a partner willing to take over and be in charge of everything, including a difficult puppy and a sick older dog, all the weekends I was away doing my own thing. I’m grateful for the friendships I made, for the kindness and wisdom of my teachers, and for the opportunities I’ve had to practice.
• Good health for me and those I love. It’s been touch and go a few times, and there were a few mysteries and some worry, but all in all it’s been okay, good even. My brother wrote in his Christmas card to us, “I’m wishing you health above all for Christmas … dogs too.” That was the best thing he could wish for us, the most precious.
• Financial ease. I am grateful almost every day that Eric and I are in a situation where we don’t have to worry, can afford the things that matter to us, what we need and want, are able to help even. There are so many who don’t have this, and I feel lucky, lucky, lucky.
• Friendship. I have awesome friends — smart and kind and funny.
• I love where I live. Close to most of what I want to be close to, nice neighbors, good weather, beautiful scenery, the river and the mountains, big enough but also still small enough with quiet wild spots still accessible.
• My job at CSU. The perfect fit of what I’m good at and what others need.
• Books and the people who keep writing them. I got an Amazon Kindle from Eric for Christmas, and he took the change from our piggy bank and cashed it in for Amazon credit, $168, so ALL THE BOOKS!
• Teachers, guides, healers, and companions who helped me heal, to be well. I had a little Christmas miracle last night when I identified a specific hunger (needing Christmas to feel special, even though we were spending it mostly alone), knew how to feed it (going out for Chinese food at one of our favorite restaurants, then coming home and watching “Elf”), and asked for it, gave it to myself, allowed myself to have it until I was full. In the past, I might have stayed home and ate leftovers and felt sad, or gone out for dinner and stuffed myself full of food until I was sick, all without being able to identify or be honest about what I was really feeling. I can only do so now because I’ve done a lot of work and had a lot of help along the way.
• Love and confidence. Knowing I am loved, not being afraid to love, knowing that if someone doesn’t like or accept me that’s okay, knowing that what I have to offer matters, makes a difference, knowing who I am and honoring that.
• My kind and gentle readers. I come here to work through all the things I’m trying to figure out. I show up and tell my story, and other people gather and listen, hold this space for me, offer support and love. I am amazed by it, and so so so grateful. Happy, Merry Everything to you, kind and gentle reader. ❤