It’s been quite a rough year for me. It would be so easy to focus on the bad things that have happened, but instead, I am choosing to focus on those things that made me happy, or helped me to grow as a person.
- Spending time with my dad. Before he passed, I had planned to visit my parents on the other side of the mountains from my home. Then we got so much rain that the burn scars from last year turned into mudslides and completely buried the interstate. The only remaining ways to get there would take over eight hours of driving. I was ready to give up and just reschedule. My daughter kept insisting that we go, so I caved and we went. It turned out to be the last time I would get to see my dad. We spent five wonderful days, laughing and reminiscing over old photo albums, telling jokes and just being together. I am forever grateful that I got the gift of time.
- Having a supportive husband. He is my rock. He listens to my crazy ideas and tempers them with doses of reality. He makes me laugh and helps me realize that I need to stop taking myself too seriously. He encourages my writing and is always pushing me to see my dreams through. I love that we have a hobby that we share, too.
- Having my children close by. Often times, I will come home from work and my daughter will be at the house. She works nights and goes to school during the day. So, the fact that she carves out time to spend with me makes my heart so happy. My son is living with us for a while and will surprise me by doing some of my chores, or cooking dinner. He will ask me what he can do to help. He has such a kind heart.
- Brainstorming sessions with my mom. If I am feeling stuck on a scene in my WIP, I call her up and we talk for hours. She always finds a way to work around my problem or steer me in a different direction. My current manuscript is for a first in series cozy mystery. Yesterday when I called her, we laughed through my whole rendition of how the story would go. She was super supportive when I lamented the fact that I had written 14,000 before deciding to change who the main character was going to be.
- My mother-in-law. What can I say, but I love her. She is an amazing woman of God and spending time with her is akin to a spa day for the soul. She is always encouraging and building me up. She also has a great sense of humor and I love it when she laughs so hard, she cries. Which is often. She also is such a giving person. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her sit still. She’s always wanting to do things for other people. She inspires me to be a better person.
- My writing. I published my 10th book this year (my 3rd novel). I never imagined publishing just one a while back! And I put out my first audio book, too. That was exciting and nerve wracking and so outside of my comfort zone. I’d like to get faster at it and put out more books during the year. We’ll see what 2022 holds. Maybe I’ll even try producing my own audio books!
- My teammate at work. She is a wonderful, creative, passionate person. She always goes above and beyond to do what needs to be done. When my world fell apart in August, she picked up my end and carried the whole department. I am so thankful that I have her in my life. We compliment each other’s teaching styles and collaborate so well. We also have fun together and can make each other laugh.
- My Bible study group. I found this group in January, and meet with them every week. When I joined, I only knew one of them, and was feeling very nervous and unsure of myself. I have learned so much from them. We support each other and hold each other accountable. We laugh and cry and pray and it is wonderful.
I hope that each and every one of you takes the time to make a list of things that make you happy and help you grow. Be thankful for the people in your life and tell them. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!