Day 13

Today I'm grateful for my friends.  They truly are a gift from God, and were there to help me find my way back home after so many years away from the church.

Day 12

Today I am thankful for the house I live in.  It isn't large, or fancy, or particularly special--but it keeps us warm in the winter, dry when it's raining, and safe when we are inside its walls.  And I am enjoying the process of turning this house into a home!

Day 11

Today I am thankful for my students.  They make me laugh, they make me want to cry, they bring me such joy and happiness...

Day 10

I'm grateful for the quiet mornings--I'm always the first one up in the house so I have an hour or so each day to spend quietly reflecting on my life and the day ahead.  No television, no radio, just the quiet hum of the refrigerator, the sound of the birds waking up, and my thoughts to keep me company.

Day 9

I'm thankful for a productive day at home, reorganizing my china storage and freeing up storage space in my kitchen.

Day 8

Today I am thankful for the financial difficulties that we are currently experiencing.  I know that it might seem funny to many of you to read this, but honestly, I am.  While they are stressful (oh, am I stressed!) I have been blessed recently to see how much I have contributed to those difficulties in different ways--some of which are completely unexpected, and have nothing to do with spending!  I know that this insight will help me become a better person, a better wife, a better Catholic--and isn't that something to be thankful for?

Day 7

Today I'm thankful for Sr. Dulce Maria, especially for the peace and comfort she has brought to my cousin Nancy as she battles stage 4 cancer.