I am grateful that I didn't burst into tears even one time at work today. (Over dinner, yes, but not at work.)
I'm grateful that I work in an office full of people who care about me (and vice versa). I've been so fortunate to work with such an incredible mix of people, and I'm so grateful for the individual ways they each touch my life.
I'm grateful for the smell of petunias in winter. (Which is a little weird, considering how the smell of petunias in the summer marked my childhood, but such is the way of living in the Valley of the Sun.) Petunias make me happy.
I'm grateful for surprise boxes of Girl Scout cookies. Truly, there is nothing better in the way of a "I'm so sorry that you're having a hard time - I hope this will help you have a better day" gift than a box of Thin Mints. I can't tell you how much it made my day to walk into work and find this on my desk! (I have mixed feelings on my need to report my newfound knowledge that it takes me 12 minutes to eat one row of cookies. On the one hand, I'm sort of proud. On the other, I know this is not something that people in polite society discuss.)
I'm so grateful for my cousins. Last night, I chatted online with Lindsay, and then read an email from Shelly and an email from Robin, both of which made me cry (in a good way) and helped me remember why I love my family so much. This afternoon, I got to talk to Julie for almost an hour. I'm so grateful for my cousins, because they are friends that I've had my whole life. Today, Julie told me that it makes her happy that I know her as well as I do. ... I know exactly how she feels, because I feel the same way.
I'm grateful for good friends. Tonight was my semi-monthly (semi, as in, we try to do it monthly, but sometimes we get too busy and it goes every-other-monthly) dinner with Ashley. She is my favorite Peterson, and my favorite person to split the Red Robin cobb salad with, hands down. Tonight, we made tentative plans to do a Monday night movie next week, because Ashley wants me to meet the new man in her life. She told me that she told her boyfriend that she wants him to meet her "happy friend". (This is how she's described me to him. Next to being called funny, being called happy is the best thing in the world to me, esp by someone who knows me well enough to know what is going on with my health. She knows what is hard for me, but she still sees me as happy. This is such a huge compliment to me.)
I'm grateful for Arizona sunsets.
I'm grateful all the time for the corner of the world that I live in, but this time of year, it truly blows my mind. I love the spring color, and the combined smells of jasmine and petunias and ripe citrus in the air.
I'm so grateful that I live in this beautiful part of the country. I'm so grateful that I work with people who make me happy and bring me joy. I'm so grateful for people who are related to me who are also my friends. I'm so grateful for my awesome friends who aren't family, but feel like they are. I'm grateful for conversation that runs the gamut, for so very many people in my life whom I love and I know love me.
Truly, life is good. I am grateful.
I love days that are full of joy and good things. (Like, you know, Girl Scout cookies and Red Robin's fries.) I'm glad that today was one of the good days.
