#8 Express gratitude to 3 people

So today I am on a roll…..2 posts!

Continuing with my gratitude challenge, now up to #8.  Express gratitude to 3 people.

This is not hard.  At least in theory it should not be.  I have SO many people who have blessed my life.  In SO many ways.

I guess to help me narrow it down, I will think of more recent peeps in my life.

First person, my hubby of course.  We have had a crazy roller coaster journey over the past 12 years.  He is my #1 fan, and for that I am so grateful.  I need a fan.  Usually to give me the kick in the butt that I need.  And I need it most weeks.  I get discouraged very easily, but he does not seem to run out of positive encouragement for me even when I have been down for awhile.  He never gives up.  Is he perfect? No of course not, he does have his moments.  But he continues on continuing on with me on this crazy hard and some days sad journey.  We have gone through so much struggle and drama, and come out the other side so much stronger and connected for it.  I know I can count on him and I know that he is there cheering me.  And for that I am grateful.

Second person, my birth mom.  Now you are probably thinking I am going to say I am grateful to her for giving me life. That’s kind of a no brainer.  No, I am talking about being grateful to have met her so I can find out who I am.  To know myself.  We are alike and different in so many ways, but understanding where and who I come from (at least on her side) has helped me get a better understanding of why I do some of the things I do.  DNA is a wacky thing.  Family traits even wackier lol.

Third and definitely not last is my son.  I am so grateful for having been blessed with him.  Though a long and very difficult journey raising him, a roller coaster until itself,   I feel I have learned more from him than anyone else in this life.  I feel as though he is the teacher and I am the student.  With all of his learning, mental health and developmental struggles, he never gives up.  (leading also back to my birth mother and our family trait of resilience which thankfully both my son and I have inherited).  This little boy has grown so much, going through tremendous trauma, and into an almost-man who battles addiction, disability, PTSD and more.  He never ceases to inspire me to keep going. As a mother, I pray for him and hope that he never gives up.  My wish for him is to become happy and whole in his own way and that he reaches his full potential.  I am immensely grateful to be part of his life and be one of the people who has helped shape him into who he is and will become.

Dreams….

So this blog has been abandoned for awhile, or at least it feels that way to me.  I just have no interest in much of anything but too much interest in too many things if that makes sense.  I guess I am not organized enough to get down to the things that I really love.  On a consistent basis.  I scrap-booked for 2 whole hours on Friday…yes 2.  I watched a few episodes of Criminal minds this weekend.  I read a few chapters in a book on Thursday.  I looked up a few birds at my feeder trying to identify them on Friday afternoon.

It just seems that my life is all in bits and pieces these days.  And I have no excuse.  Other than being disorganized and ADD.  I used to immerse myself in things, spend hours at one activity I enjoyed.  Then life took over.  Raising kids, driving kids, feeding kids.  Now I have no kids.  I have a job, a job that seems to take up more time than it did when I had kids, the work hours have not changed, the commuting time has not changed.  What has changed?

Where am I going with this? Other than pointing out my lack of planning?

I guess I am still stuck in the beginning of my mid life…what now?

Where do I go from here?  How do I accomplish all the dreams I still have? What exactly are those dreams?

So I need a list.  I need a bucket list of goals-no more than that.  I don’t want to call this a bucket list.  That would mean I have to check things off.  Some of my dreams may not be realistic or happen and leaving them un-checked would add to my sense of personal failure.  I will call this a DREAM list.

So starting off my dream list a few things come to mind right off the bat.

A trip across the states in my RV. (with my husband at the wheel of course, let’s not forget my Nystagmus and the fact that hauling a fifth wheel is harder than it sounds)/

Time in my scrapbook room, stamping, creating.

A side business as a hobby selling crafting things, ie cards and paper kits.

Time to read

Time to connect with other birders and actually learn how to identify birds properly

A trip to India

A trip to Asia-Pacific

A trip to Africa

Another trip to South America

All of the above trips being somehow connected to mission work and helping others

Parenting a child in need whether that be a foster child, teen in need or otherwise.

Spending the winter down south, preferably in an RV park and perhaps work camping to make this happen

Time to watch all 11 seasons of Criminal Minds….in order

Write a book

Take psychology courses

Ok so my list has now been started.

Now I just have to find the time to start 😉