"there is always, always, always something to be thankful for"

I'm switching gears a little bit tonight. Instead of talking about everything that has failed in my life, I want to give a shout out to those things that I'm thankful for.

First and foremost: my family. They are my rock. Even when I push them away and refuse to talk, they are still there constantly, with smiles on their faces, doing anything in their power to keep one on mine. The older I get, the more I realize how important they are to me. I have wonderful parents and an amazing sister. I wouldn't trade them for the world. Not to mention my incredibly sweet nephews... Andrew's constant smiles and big hugs; Logan's baby babbles and sweet innocence... it brings tears to my eyes when I see them on Skype, or when I have to leave them. They mean the world to me and are a great reminder of what's important in life.

I'm also quickly learning the importance of my extended family. I have aunts, uncles, and cousins out there who keep me in check and are willing to do anything to help me. Never underestimate your relatives, folks. I promise you, the older you get, the more important keeping in touch with them seems to become.

Next: my friends. It's crazy who will become your friend if you just let people in. I'm blessed to have an amazing best friend... one who practices tough love when she needs to, never says "I told you so," even when she has every right to, and cares enough to say hi every single day, whether she knows anything new or not.

In addition to my best friend, I'm discovering a whole realm of friends I either neglected or didn't know existed six months ago. From high school buddies, to exes and exes wives, to co-workers, to friends who live on the other side of the country... I did nothing to deserve their friendship and kindness, yet there they are. I've learned a plethora of lessons from them already; from realizing that I'm not the only one who's gone through a difficult situation, to reminders of the importance of keeping a positive attitude, to the comfort of just relaxing and vegging out on greasy food and watching pointless tv shows.

Next on the list: I'm thankful for my health. I've had many health problems in the past, and thankfully, they seem to have only slowed down as I've gotten older. Sure, my health still isn't perfect, but I'll take swallowing a teeny pill once a day over surgeries and hospitals any day. My scars remind me daily that beauty is truly only skin deep. My self-consciousness is a constant reminder of the importance of being modest, and a reminder to not become vain.

Lastly, I'm thankful for my current financial situation. Sure, I had to trade in a vehicle that I loved for a smaller one with fewer bells and whistles, and sure, I will have to give up luxuries that I've gotten used to having. But when you possess all the blessings I've been given that I've just mentioned, it's easy to forget about the material things. I won't end up on the streets, I can pay my bills, and I'm becoming independent for the first time in my life. Now that's something worth being thankful for.