"Through God all things are IMpossible!"

This is a direct quote from my son. At first, I was like, "Holy moly! You just said a bible verse!" And then, I was like, "Wait! HUH?" I totally cracked up laughing at him, which immediately turned him into Mr. Comedian, so he had to repeat it a zillion times. "IMpossible! IMpossible!"

So, can I get serious for a minute with you? Lately, I have kind of been feeling like that. Things are impossible. Everyone I know has a sick kid, a sick relative, a sick pet. There have been deaths in the family. Sudden and not so sudden. The loss of a pet is devastating. The loss of a father--you are changed forever. A sick parent, a sick child. It's everywhere right now. It feels as though things are impossible.

So, in a time like this, where I feel like the world is pressing on me from every side. I have to stop. STOP! Take a breath and really think about my life. What do I have to be stressed out about really? I mean, REALLY?!?! In the grand scheme of things, I am one lucky gal. So, I would like to take this time to count a few of my blessings. Are you cool with that? Good.

1. My kids. My #1 priority. They are both sick. They both have vile things coming from all of their orifices. VILE! Ben and I spent the morning in urgent care with what turned out to be a nasty ear infection. But, regardless of all of that, they are not SICK. You know? My mom told me that she recently saw a family at a restaurant with a child who obviously was undergoing chemo. She was bald, weak and sick. And for that family, I send them prayers. For my family, I give thanks that, while they are sick, they are not SICK and i can deal with the snot, the poop and the antibiotics (which require hog-tying my son to force down his throat, by the way). My kids are healthy. They are beautiful and smart and strong. How lucky can I be?

2. My husband. He drives me bananas. But, what would I do without him? Who else "gets" me? Who else would let me buy Coach purses and leave piles of laundry to fester? Who else cracks me up and laughs at all of my jokes? (ok, everyone laughs at my jokes because i am hilarious, but you know what i mean!) I know he loves me and I love him. How lucky can I be?

3. My home. I love my house, my neighborhood, my town. It took a very long time for me to love this town, but I eventually did. I love my rec center and my boot camp class that kicks my arse twice a week. I love my Sundance girls and my bunco night! I love my babysitting co-op girls and the fact that I have a list of people I could choose from to be my "in case of emergency" numbers! How lucky can I be?

5. My parents! I am stressing out with cabin fever. I choose a time that I want to go on a trip, and they say they will come watch my kids. They don't hesitate. They have always been there for me and love my kids more than I ever thought possible. They bring me Christmas presents through a blizzard and get up with my kids in the night so I can sleep in. They buy donuts for breakfast and feed the ducks, they are the grandparents that I wish every kid could have. How lucky can I be?

4. My friends! At the top is my #1 girl, Chrissy. One year ago she lost her father. This year she is going to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. She is the strongest girl I know. She is the best girl I know. She is my sister and my confidant. Even though we live different lives, she is the one who will always be there when I call. How lucky can I be?

I could go on and on and on. I am blessed. That is the bottom line. At a crazy time in my life, when I am being pulled in all directions, I am happy that I have this list to remind me that my life is good. It's real good.

How lucky can I be?