Today I am so grateful to live in a relatively safe part of the world. Reflecting back on 9/11, I remember fearing what the future held. I am so glad reality was less scary then what I imagined.

I am grateful my husband understands the heartbreak of losing a pet. I am not good with dealing with death and especially dead things. We now have a guinea pig, a hamster and most recently a beta fish buried in our back yard. He’s dealt with the funerals and the tears better then I ever could.

I am thankful that I have ladies in my life that help motivate me.

I am grateful for second chances. I was not able to complete something I thought I could and was feeling pretty disappointed in myself. I will get it even if I have to try more then once.

I fell asleep before I posted anything last night, oops! I went for a walk in the evening and it made me so thankful for cool fall nights. I am sad that summer is almost over but Autumn is my favorite season and I am excited to feel it in the air.

Today I am thankful for spunky older ladies. While at work, I was chatting with a lady who was picking out yarn. She is a seamstress who likes to make a lot of her clothes so that she will never show up in the same outfit as anyone else. She told me how she likes to eat healthy foods, be active and do exciting things. She certainly didn’t look or seem her age. This lady was full of compliments, energy and just made you feel good to be around her. I want to be just like her when I grow up.

Thank you to everyone working in the education field. Teachers, principals, early educators, tutors, bus drivers, and the crosswalk guard. You all went above and beyond to make sure all of the kids felt welcomed back to school. Your smiling faces make it so much easier to leave my kids in your capable hands. The effort you put in behind the scenes is very much appreciated.

I am thankful my kids really like school. I find it hard enough when they go back, it would make it so much harder if they were dreading it too. They are all excited to see their friends daily again.

I am insanely grateful that I live so close to the ocean. I feel pulled there often. It is my happy place, where I go when I am sad, need to think or just forget about everything for a while. The smells and sound of the ocean just feel like home.

Today I am grateful for my brother and sister in law. My girls had a sleepover last night and then they hitched a ride to the city for a day of fun with their cousins. I was working and we all would have missed out without them.