Well this may be a little quaint but every year I try to take stock of what I’m most thankful for, and I try to remember that thankfullness all year.

1. My husband:  In a time where the sanctity of marriage seems less and less respected, I feel truly blessed to share my life with a man as special as my husband. He is an excellent provider, a constant companion, and the one shoulder I know I can always lean on when things go wrong. Although we’ve had our ups and downs throughout the years, like anyone else, we have grown stronger together. We’ve gotten through the bad times as a team, which makes the good times even better.

2.  The power of prayer: Every time I rely on prayer, I see God’s work in my life, even if it takes longer than I think it should to get results.

3.  My family: One of the things I think is wrong with society today is the erosion of family values. I was very fortunate to be raised in a loving, stable nuclear family and so was my husband. I try to hold their values close to my heart and give all the credit and love to them for helping me become the person I am today. I am thankful for my niece and nephew and am so proud of how my sister and brother-in-law have been such great parents. Family is the heart of everything to me and I am truly blessed to have the one that I do.

4.  Being an American: Despite this country’s many flaws, we still have more rights and privileges than most any other country in the world. None of us should ever take that for granted.

5.  Books: I am most thankful for real paper books. I am thankful for the education and entertainment they have given me over the years.  Whether it was the adventure of a Dungeons and Dragons novel or the bittersweet beauty of Little Women, books shaped my life and were my friends. If I was the first one awake on the weekends when I was a child I would reach for whatever book was on my bedside table and spend the morning in bed reading. I would spend many hours during the summer seeing how many books I could read, and I am still obsessed with the written word. My tastes have changed over the years — I’m reading more of the classics and quite a bit of non-fiction now — but I am still thankful for the silent journey a book can take me on anytime, anywhere.

6.  My invitro doctors: Even if things don’t work out the way Bill and I hope they will, I am very thankful to have had such caring doctors and nurses. I am also very thankful that Massachusetts is the only state in America that fully covers all invitro costs with insurance.

7.  My creativity:  It’s what sets me apart from others and I am thankful for all the solitary enjoyment my various hobbies have given me. I’m also thankful for my ability to create gifts for others that come from my heart.

8.  The beauty of where I live: I am thankful that when I need proof of God’s existence, I can just look out at the natural beauty of Sunderland.