Week of Gratitude

I first set out to post a month of thanks leading up to Thanksgiving.  But I always to seem to have too many ideas and not enough time.  So here I am, 9 days til turkey and I am just starting.  I was fortunate in graduate school to have a dear friend who "created" work for me.  Times were definitely tight as most of my free time had to be spent studying with not enough time for working.  This dear family friend hired me to babysit the cutest boy ever born.  I was able to study while I worked and her trips to the grocery store or even the mall resulted in some treats for me.  When the time came for the family to move on, I was in my last bit of school.  She continued to pay me to check on the house, drop goods off to the homeless shelter, etc.  I know that this was her way of helping me out but maintaining my dignity by not making it a handout.  I was included in family vacations that I never would have been able to afford.  She went on to have 2 more children and even though they lived miles away, would fly me out to spend time with them, my other family.  Those children remain terribly dear to me and taught just how endless love can be.  She's not the sentimental type so to express my vast amount of gratitude to her would likely make her uncomfortable.  But thanks for making a tough time bearable and for making me a part of your family.