Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone .. Even Those in Other Countries!

Everyone should have something to be thankful for, no matter how down and out you might feel!

(and no, that isn't me. It's Lorelei from Southern Charms)

Wasn't going to post a Thanksgiving caption today. I looked at a few pictures that possibly could have worked, but I wasn't really feeling it. I was sitting here thinking how thankful I am that I don't have to work again until next Tuesday, and that evolved into how thankful I am to have this outlet for my creativity, and that I get to share that 'gift' with you.

Even when I'm a bit overwhelmed with life, I know that there are many people out there with much shittier lives than mine. I can remember days when I was living pretty much out of my car. I would work at a group home on overnights and wash my clothes there, eat the leftover food I was supposed to throw out, and shower when no staff was around. Then when my girlfriend moved to the area to live with me, we found a shitty little apartment for 400 a month (everything included) on the 3rd floor above a low level drug dealer. We thought it was heaven, mostly because we could afford to be together there, and with her hiding from her ex-husband, if WAS safer than the alternative. Every overnight shift, I worried about her, but we kept our noses clean and out of other people's business, so we were pretty safe.

Then the landlord sold to someone else, who cleaned up the property and got rid of most of the trouble .. and we were able to get visitation on my young daughter .. which turned into custody a year later .. once again trying times in dealing with MY ex in this case.

Each time that I encounter some valley in life, I'm been lucky enough that when I can crawl out of it, I tend to be at least a step or two ahead of where I was before. It might not seem like it at that moment, but it just seems to work out that way. I hope that it continues to be so, even though I can see where things could possibly get bad again. I mean, if one of us loses our job or gets hurt, we're probably homeless within 2 months.

But that is why I am thankful for what I have, as I know what it's like to be sleeping in that Bronco, and you just have to believe that whatever is around the corner, it will be a new opportunity to grow, socially, intellectually, financially, or emotionally. So that is my offering to you right now .. HOPE. That you embrace the now, and what you have, knowing that it can be taken away. But even then, with hope, something even better will take shape. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!