Whew! That was some kind of hiatus huh? Between my dad passing, and my final push for grad school, I just didn’t have the energy needed to blog as well. Sounds like a lame excuse, but it is the truth. <Sigh> Oh well, I am back now! And just in time for Weekly Om Wednesday!

There is so much to be thankful for and it is really important to be grateful for all of the awesomeness that happens every day in our lives. (yknow, you gotta appreciate the little things because all of the little things make up the bigger things).

So a while back, I decided that every Wednesday, I would give thanks for 5 things I was grateful for; but then, I got out of practice. Anyway, we are getting back in practice 🙂

1) I am grateful to all of the people who came out for my pop’s funeral or who reached out whether it be on the book of face, twitter, text, here on the blog, etc. I know my family and I are all grateful for the response we have gotten from the community. We are truly blessed to have all of you in our lives. Everyone has been so helpful and understanding and gracious. Really. just because it happened a month and a half ago, doesn’t mean things are back to normal. This is a monumental blow to my family and me as a human. It will take me a long time to move forward into my new normal. I have reached out to a few people and talked about what I am feeling and have asked for help on making decisions. 

2) Number 1, brings me to number 2. I am grateful for all of the advice people have given me whether asked for or not. I am so very grateful. My pop was the advice giver, at least for me. Every major (and sometimes minor) decision I ran past him to make sure I had covered all angles, thought of everything and made the best decision with the best information I had at the time. A few of my friends have stepped up and really helped me out in this way. Also, my mom tried real hard, but as I told her, laughingly, she just isn’t dad. hehe. which feeds into number 3.

3) My family. We have all been there for each other. Supporting each other and providing support. Listening, laughing, crying (#noshame). 

4) Those that have talked to me about their problems and what is going on with them. It has provided me with distraction; something else to think about as I move through and navigate these familiar but completely foreign waters.

5) Those who have listened even when they have something monumental going on. While this isnt my first time with grief of a close loved one, it is my first time with the loss of a close blood relative and this whole grief thing… man it comes in waves. When I dealt with it before, with Donovan, I put it off for three years. And well… by then, it was remembering the happy times and not being so shocked and sad still. Acceptance had already happened. With my pop, I have just been trying to get through the stages leading up to acceptance 🙂

thank you friends!!!

and i am hoping soon to make it to a place that looks like this: 

because I need a break from things and life and why the hell not go down to the keys (or miami), listen to some Jimmy Buffett and sip some adult beverages?