Thankful Thursday | when you need to pinch yourself

I was talking to a friend yesterday, saying that sometimes, I cannot believe how good life is right now. I feel like I need to pinch myself.

I was telling another friend (who is also divorcing from a not-good marriage) that a gift we take from that experience is a vast amount of appreciation for what it is like to be free.

We know what it is like to live in a very hard situation for a very long time, so we have an unusual level of gratitude for things some people take for granted.

It’s like experiencing a whole new magical world that we barely knew existed. Sometimes I wonder if it is like seeing in color when you have spent years in a monochromatic world.

This week, I am thankful:

for the way blogging made scholarship essays so easy for me

I have written thousands of posts here over the years, so writing a few essays for scholarships was a very, very small challenge.

My tell-a-story-about-my-life skills are well-honed from all these blog posts!

that I got an A on my med-surg exam

I got 46/50 correct, so that’s a 92%. That’s a hard class, and that particular exam material was pretty tough, so, WHEW.

I heard a rumor that future med-surg exams are slightly less difficult, so that’s encouraging. We’ll see!

I have two more med-surg exams, plus a final…and I just have to keep doing what I’ve been doing.

One week at a time. One module at a time. One test at a time.

In the words of Dory (from Finding Nemo)…just keep swimming, just keep swimming. 🙂

for how supportive you guys all are

I was just thinking about how I can share here when I get a good grade, and you guys are all just so nice about it.

No one tells me I’m bragging and no one feels threatened; you all just share my joy when things go well, and I appreciate that!

Thanks for being on my team. 🙂

for opportunities, and the freedom to take them

I was thinking about things like the winery evening the other night, my trips to the symphony, my hiking adventures, study groups with classmates, and so on.

Some years ago, I would not have been able to do all of those things, and I am so, so grateful that I have the freedom to do them now.

for kitty snuggles

Shelley laid down on my lap for a long time the other night while Zoe and I watched a movie.

And of course, Chiquita is forever and ever next to me, wherever I go in the house. 😉

Most of the time I am grateful for this, but when she lies down on my keyboard and adds things to my posts, I am less grateful. Ha.

for my little house

Going along with the pinching myself thing…some days, I think, “I get to live here? In my own little house? As long as I want to?”

And it feels almost too good to be true.

for a sweet package from reader Dicey

She sent me a whole box of medical-related books, such as medical memoirs. So kind!

Chiquita is appreciative of the box the books came in. 😉

that I can see growth in the rearview mirror

I was at a divorce support group meeting last night, and during the discussion, I shared my philosophy about riding the waves of bad memories rather than resisting, and sitting with the emotions as they come up.

And in doing that, I was reminded of how much progress I have made over the last two years, processing what I’ve been through.

Progress is slow in the moment, but with the benefit of time and hindsight, I really can see how far I have come.

It’s not that I never feel angry anymore, or that I never feel sad, but the waves of emotion come so much less frequently, and often with less intensity.

The waters I’m sailing in now are calmer than they used to be, and I am thankful.

What are you thankful for this week?