gratitude.

after a rough week, i am taking stock in my many blessings tonight.

i made a decision a very long time ago to consciously live in gratitude.....and to be fully aware of the fact that people don't hear how much they are cared for nearly as much as they should. it isn't rocket science....and it won't win you any kind of recognition but thank and you, when you put them together, have the ability to change someone's day or make them realize just how loved and valued they are. who doesn't want that? who wouldn't want to know they are fantastic just for who they are?

i can't think of a single person.

so.....after a rough week, i am beyond grateful for the many people who listened, stepped up, swooped in, and were just there with their whole hearts. so many made conscious decisions to make sure i was okay and that has made me so very aware of the people who are in for the long haul.

some of them were people i knew would be there....and others were old friends and people who had fallen off the map in many ways in my life.....but that's the thing--people know you better than you think....and they show up. and sure, it isn't always during your normal and every day moments. that's the thing about timing--it is rarely perfect or right....you learn to adapt and to appreciate the people who love you, even if it only seems like they're there when you're in the middle of the storm....because you need to know you don't have to be the strong one right now or tomorrow or until the waves have subsided.

sometimes you just need to know it's okay to be you.

which is why it is important to let others know how important their "you" is. at least, i think so.

it's why i celebrate birthdays like it's the only day in the world that matters. it's also why i will back you up, fly your flag, and be in your corner forever.

because, someday....you're not always going to remember that you're important. and loved. and special. someday you're going to feel like crap. and you'll feel like you shouldn't be important for another person....because life is hard....and there are no instructions or guidelines for how to live it. so the mistakes sometimes feel like earthquakes. and the triumphs sometimes feel like you've climbed mount everest.

but it's more likely that you'll remember the earthquakes.

so, for those very moments, i will continue to remind you and everyone else that you are loved. and important. and awesome (if you are:))

because living gratitude is more than saying thank you. it's genuinely meaning it. it's knowing your heart cannot ever fill if you can't see the impact others make on you, whether positive or negative. it's courageously living from a place where you know you may get hurt but also knowing that how you leave people is important....and i'd rather be remembered for my grateful soul than anything else.

so that you'll forget the earthquakes....even if it's only for five minutes.