Be Grateful (Day 1)

Several years ago I picked up my brother's cell phone and the message on his screen simply read "Be Grateful". I immediately changed the message on my phone to say the same and have kept it ever since. I try to constantly keep that message in mind and I try to put it into action daily. Recently I decided to revisit a friend's blog and although she hadn't updated it in a while what she had there was very poignant for me. She was in the middle of 30 days of gratitude. I didn't take the time to read over the stipulations of this exercise as I figured I could simply make up my own. I'm going to express my gratitude for as many days as it takes.

As many of you may have noticed I spent a good portion of my holiday break uselessly reflecting on previous relationships and the drama that seems to only surround me when I get anywhere near a guy. However, this has lead me to think about the men that I have in my life that are drama-free and amazing. So today I am grateful for the men in my life.

My Papa Bear - My dad is just a really amazing guy. He is one of those people that can only be described with the phrase "salt of the earth". He's taught me the importance of a good sense of humor and that it's OK to laugh at yourself. He's also taught me to have faith in myself and that I can do anything...even without a man. Plus, he's been known to shed a tear when dropping me off at the airport. How can you not love a man like that?!

My big brother, Jacob - As each year passes, Jake becomes more and more like my dad. Outwardly he pretends that this annoys him, but I think he secretly knows it's true. Growing up, Jake made me laugh harder than anyone else. He still does. He's also proved to be a really amazing Dad, which worries me because that means it's probably very likely my kids will be hellions.

My step-dad, John - I absolutely won the step-parent lottery. I can't imagine that it is easy to be a step-dad, especially not to my brother and me, but John has been nothing short of awesome. I am constantly learning from him and almost as constantly giving him a hard time. Just because I can.

My Boy Bestie, Peter - Peter and I are like an old married couple. We bicker and make fun of each other regularly, but at the end of the day we have an incredible amount of love and respect for each other. Peter is a tremendously generous friend and is always pushing me to be a better friend in return. Plus, he makes me laugh, a lot.


My nephews, Sytahn and Tyson - I'm not sure if and when I want to be a mommy, but I love everything about being an auntie. These two little dudes are beyond amazing. They have personality and humor coming out of every pore. They are sweet and lovable and I can't wait to spend time with them, just getting to know them and thinking about what cool guys they'll grow up to be. I love that I can spoil them, hype them up and then send them home. Like I said, it's good to be an auntie.