Maybe One of My Least Favorite Months......

I really dislike this month intensely. I love to focus on gratitude but that has become hard work lately. This week will commemorate the 5th anniversary of Art's diagnosis with brain cancer. And.....this past week included a very significant change in my relationship with my best friend. I think the loss of my husband has made subsequent losses a little bit harder. Loss is never easy, but.....this recent loss is the result of the determination that I am not good enough. Well, that only means that I deserve something different. I am sure that God has other plans for me. But that hasn't stopped the flow of tears and the sincere wish that life had turned out differently. On the positive side, I am grateful for having had the time I did with my best friend and all the blessings that were the result of that friendship. Mostly I celebrate all the loving years I had with my husband. I know that God puts people in our lives for different reasons and different amounts of time. This has been alot of food for thought for my 30 Days of Thankfulness book. Gratitude is a very powerful concept. I am glad I have decided to be part of this group for the month of November! What a great group of women are part of this process! Expressing thoughts and feelings through photography, art and the written word are healing! Last year I sent a gratitude email every day to my best friend.....then compiled them into a small album. I think that changed me forever. I am glad I had the opportunity to do that, especially in light of the events of this November. This November I am grateful for my inner strength, my faith, my home and the friendships that sustain me. As the leaves drop, the cold weather has us snuggling into layers of sweaters and coats, and we begin preparations for the holiday season, let us cherish those we love, for however long we have them in our lives.