Writing Prompt #2-Things to be Grateful For in Just me!

I’m going to try to do a top 10 list things on my gratitude list. Here we go:

1) A God that loves me unconditionally and looks after me all day, every day. My faith has brought me through so many things in this life.
2) My precious husband. Bill has been my mainstay for 40 years now, plus the one year we dated. We knew immediately this was IT, and that hasn’t changed in all these years. We make each other laugh, we genuinely enjoy being together, and he learned to love getting up and dancing with me!
3) My 2 wonderful children! I knew from the time I was a young girl that I wanted to be a mother, and it turned out to be even better than I imagined. No, they were not and are not perfect, but they’re close enough. They are both impossibly cute,smart, married well, and they seem to love their mother. I’m blessed!
4) My 3 adorable grandchildren. What can I possibly say that will truly convey my feelings? I tell people all the time that the love for your grandchildren is a crazy, bigger than anything else feeling, and I mean it. I love those 2 boys and that 1 cute little girl with a love that takes my breath away.
5) My family. I was blessed with the 2 greatest parents in the world and 5 loving siblings. We are a very close family, and we have expanded through the years with spouses, children and grandchildren. There are assorted others who have become part of the clan, including 2 former brothers in-law who occasionally drop by our gatherings. Guess they don’t know how to quit us!
6) My son in-law and daughter in-law. Although I sometimes I have to bite my tongue on things, I believe my children both chose well for themselves, and it is nice to have these extra loves in my life.
7) My church family…I have 3. 1 is from our church in Virginia. It is a beautiful little country church with wonderful people who became so dear to us for the 14 years we lived in that little area. We have maintained our membership there and our ties to the people. We go back several times a year to truly give our spirits a lift. The 2nd is from the church where we took an associate membership when we moved to NC so I could become caregiver to our first beloved grandchild. Although I later worked there for 3 1/2 years and learned how that can change relationships with some of your church family, there are many at that church who are still very dear to us, and we still get together. The 3rd church family is from the little church we began attending when it became clear it would be better to move on from my employment at church #2. These sweet people helped to heal my spirit and have embraced with much love and affection.
8) My work family. After I left the job at the church, I took a job at the Montessori school where my grandchildren go to school. I had substituted there and volunteered there for many years, and it is a natural and happy place for me to be. I am an assistant primary teacher, the same position I held years ago at the Montessori school my own children attended. Coming home is good.
9) The difficult people in my life. That might seem to be a strange entry on this list, but the people who make me mad or hurt my feelings or just seem to be plain difficult to understand, teach me lessons in patience every day.
10) Last, but by no means, least, is the relative good health enjoyed by my family and me. We have had challenges in this area, but we’re here, and we have learned to cherish all the moments we are given. I am eternally grateful that my husband wasn’t taken from my life 16 years ago, and I am certainly glad cancer is in my past, but I most grateful for the renewed health of my beloved grandson, Owen. It broke my heart almost to the point of a breakdown to have him sick, but he is well now, and I can’t help but touch his sweet face and tell him I love him every time I see him.

There are many other blessings, but I will stop for now.