Counting my many blessings

Of course, tomorrow is Thanksgiving. I've done a lot of thought the past few days about how blessed I am. In fact, I think I might be the most blessed person I know.

I have a God who loves me no matter what. For that I am grateful.

I have a wonderful family who loves me no matter what. My parents have been married for 48 years and counting. They have shown me what true love is about. They sacrificed and did without so that my brothers, sister and I always had all of what we needed and most of what we really wanted. They taught us that education is very important, and family is even more important. They have taught me how to be a good parent, how to manage money, how to be a good citizen, how to work hard. They have loved me even through the most difficult times. For all of this I am grateful.

My brothers and my sisters (this includes those who married into our family) have been a great support to me. No matter where I've been around the world, and no matter what was going on in their lives, they have always been there for me. We have all gone through our own difficult times and have all come out of it better people. The true testiment of how wonderful my brothers and sisters are is evident in what wonderful people their children are. I am so proud of all my nieces and nephews and how they are also good citizens who know how important education is and know how to work hard. They give me faith in the future of our country.

My family is so wonderful that I've heard many times over the years, from friends and relatives how they wished their family was as close as ours is. That's not to say we haven't had our problems, but we all know that in the end we will always love each other, and sometimes just agree to disagree. In fact, in the 27 years I have lived away from home I have missed only 3 Christmas'. I was in Guam for one, Saudi Arabia for one and England for one. I did, however, come home 2 times from England and once from Guam to spend Christmas with my family. I'll be there again this year.

I have so many great friends, sometimes I think I need to pinch myself! I'm often asked why I live in Utah rather than in N. Idaho with the rest of my family. My answer is my church family and my great friends. It is like having another whole family right here. My friends have been with me through thick and thin, and I with them. I look forward to growing old with everyone her in Utah, and seeing future grandkids get baptized in my church, surrounded by the hundreds of people there I have grown to love.

I have a man who is my friend first, and has recently become a very good friend. I don't know where that will lead, but it is nice to have someone care about you and want to be around you. So I'm just enjoying this relationship as it develops.

I have been blessed with a wonderful career, which now provides me with an adequate pension. This enables me to live my dream of going to college full time and to be able to be home with my daughter during her teenage years. It's funny how a decision at 17 years old can affect your life all these years later.

I have a home that is affordable and comfortable, and I have never had to worry about a place to live, how I could pay the mortgage, or if I can afford to heat my house in the winter. I have a wonderful new car, reliable and dependable. I have decent clothes, more than enough food to eat, shoes on my feet and internet access! Really, who could ask for more.

I have a cute dog who also loves me unconditionally. He greats me every day with a smile, and keeps me company. He is a friend to my daughter and a real part of our family. We couldn't imagine our lifes without him.

Most of all, though, I am thankful for a 14 year old girl who means everything to me. She has lived without a father her whole life, and yet does not complain. She has had to move way too many times and still turned out okay. She gets good grades in school without my having to demand it. She is nice to people who are disabled. She loves children and "old people". She gets "H"s for citizenship (highest honors). She sits close to me in church, putting her head on my shoulder when the sermon gets too long. She loves our church as much as I do, always looking forward to going on Sundays, and anytime. She doesn't mind going to the movie with me or being seen with me at the mall. She tells me how bad smoking and drugs are and says "I don't understand why people do that, it's just going to ruin their lives." She loves sports and music. She is everything a mother could hope for in a daughter. She is truly the best thing that's ever happened to me. I am excited to see her growing up and becoming a young woman. I can't wait to see who she will become.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and remember, there are many people out there who would love to hear what a blessing they are to you. Consider telling them. Mary