For the past several weeks, I’ve watched Facebook friends update their statuses, each day naming the things for which they are thankful.  There is a theme that runs throughout these posts of love for kids, spouses, siblings, and aging parents. Nobody posts that they are thankful for new cars or big houses. It is our families that matter and Thanksgiving is the perfect time to reflect on that. I’ve just gotten through a tough year and have been thinking about what I would post in gratitude.  About a year ago, my husband and I separated.  Since then life has been a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs as I’ve figured out the “what nows?” and the “what ifs?” I have spent a lot of time introspectively analyzing how I got to this point. Realizing that sometimes you have to stand still for a while before finding the will to move again, I put my life on hold, even stopping the hobbies I once loved including writing my blogs and running. No one stays stuck forever, though.  I have learned to be thankful for many new things I may never have realized had my life gone on status quo.  It’s a gratitude that comes from deep within me now, rooted in this new life experience of being a single Mom.   After a year that felt so full of loss, I reflect back and realize how much I have actually been blessed.  This year I am thankful for: TOOLS. In the past year, I’ve learned how to fix things when they’ve broken, including overflowing toilets, broken toys, and computers.  Last summer I needed a new grill.  I drove to the store, brought one home and assembled it alone on my deck on a hot summer afternoon.  I made the best-tasting cheeseburger I’ve ever eaten. A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON TIME.  I used to spend every day with my son.  Now that I have to share custody, I’ve learned to make every minute count.  I won’t be able to spend Thanksgiving with him this year so we’re having our own special dinner on Thanksgiving eve, using the good china in the formal dining room. A whole pie for just the two of us. GIRLFRIENDS. I am thankful for the friend who was there with me the day after my husband and I separated.  She got me through a day of work when I couldn’t stop crying.  I’m thankful for the one who has had lunch with me every week, sitting patiently, listening to my outpouring of emotion and providing great advice.  For the one who has been through divorce and is also a single, working Mom.  She reminds me that my feelings are normal and always makes me laugh. MY JOB. When my husband left, I was able to support myself.  It scares me to think of the situation I would have been in had I never established my career.  I am also thankful for my education. Years ago, when working full-time and going to grad school, I wondered if it was worth it. I now see how much an education can supplement a career.  I tell my son every day how important it is to never stop learning. FAMILY. I am thankful for my siblings, the friends I will have for a lifetime, and the best gift my parents left behind. NEW BEGINNINGS.  A divorce can wear a woman out, kill her self-esteem and make her doubt love and all of its false promises.  I’m thankful for the day when someone new walked into my life, reminding me what it is like to be taken care of, loved and respected again.  MY CHILD. Of all things, I most thankful for my son. His sense of humor, positive attitude and ability to adapt have reminded me this past year that although things didn’t turn out the way we planned, it doesn’t mean life can’t be good.  It’s funny how a four-foot, second grader can have the fortitude of a giant. Today marks the return of writing my blog.  I’ve just started training for a half-marathon in the spring.  I realize that it’s time to stop standing still. What would I post on Facebook amidst the multitude of gratitude?  Today I am thankful for the love I’ve realized this past year. For new beginnings.  And for the fact that nobody stays stuck forever.  Happy Thanksgiving!