In Honor of Thanksgiving - All That I'm Grateful for

NaBloPoMo #24

 

One of the most important things I believe everyone should occasionally take stock of is the things that they are grateful for.  It’s incredible how much better you feel when you go through such a list.

In honor of Thanksgiving, here’s a list of things that I’m very grateful for in my life:

1. My amazing, supportive and unbelievably understanding, and all-around wonderful husband, Tommy. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner in life. He’s my best friend, my co-adventurer and I’m grateful for him Every Single day. 
2.   My family. They are the best support system I could ever have. They’re always there for me, no matter what’s going on in my life. They are not just my family, they are my best friends and I have the best time hanging out with them, especially my adventurer parents, my brother, my sister-in-law (who’s more like a sister), my two very intelligent and fun nieces and my grandparents. My family taught me to love, laugh and live every day with an open heart and mind (with a good dose of being a realist, nevertheless). I also have to give credit to my parents and my grandparents for encouraging me to read very early on and to develop my sense of curiosity. In other words, among other things, they are directly responsible for my love of reading, and as a consequence – writing! 
3.  My multi-talented, wise beyond her years, co-writer and dearest friend Tina Moss. Without her support and encouragement, I definitely wouldn’t be the person I am today. Thank you for sharing with me our karate adventure, and, most of all, for encouraging me (and occasionally kicking my butt) in my writing. And thank you for being my friend through all the ups and downs life delivered in the years we’ve known each other.
4. All of my friends, really special and wonderful people, especially Melissa C. and Susan F.
5. This year, I have one more thing to be grateful for – my literary agents Jenn Mishler and Fran Black.  Tina (my co-writer on the Keys project) are so happy to have their representation!
6. The writing community is consistently giving me support and motivation that I need to write. I especially want to thank Heather McCorkle and #WriterRoad group – remarkable group of writers in all stages of the writing career.
7. Karate and our dojo (karate school). Karate has given me my second family, amazing friends in my dojo brothers and sisters. It gave me discipline to finish what I start. And it gave me my great women's class to teach.   
8.  The last surviving cat that my husband and I love to pieces, Bones. He’s the last of the Mohicans, the last of the three. Unfortunately, we lost two in a matter of a year last year – they will always be in our hearts. I’m so grateful for Tiger, my parents’ dog, who was also my dog the last few years I lived with my parents 10 years ago. He’s the most loving, adorable and kind dog you’ll ever meet. And his looks have caused much discussion                                                               



Bones





Tiger


9. The World Wide Web for bringing me closer to the writing community and for letting me experience exciting and helpful websites and blogs. 
10.  I'm grateful for the world of books. For romance, and urban fantasy, and paranormal, and historical fiction, and, and, and... That is the world I love, the world that gives me my getaway, excites my passions, stirs my fantasies. The world that I always want to be a part of.
11. And finally, last (but definitely not least, as you can guess) I'm so grateful to be able to even try to call myself a writer. Writing has always been my passion, and the last couple of years really made me realize that this is something I want to be doing. All the time. All my life.

There are many more things that I’m grateful for but I’ll leave it at that.

What are you grateful for this year?