A Day of Thanksgiving

Today just happens to be my birthday. Above you can see what I found on the kitchen bar when I came downstairs this morning. These were birthday gifts from my sweet hubby. As you might be able to tell, my interests run the gamut from fishing to clothes to a new charm for my Pandora bracelet to SO many other things. While I'm more than thankful for these gifts (can't wait to catch the big one!!), I am thankful for so many other things today that money can't buy. Both of our sons called me this morning to wish me a happy birthday, grandchildren have sent emails this week with happy early birthday greetings and messages that they love me, and many friends have called or sent birthday greetings. These all mean more than everyone knows. But, today, I am also thankful for LIFE in general. I love my life. I have a wonderful family, fantastic friends, more blessings than I can count, and I am alive!! Five years ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Please don't think this is for sympathy. It's not---God has been with me every step of the way and I'm fine. However,as many of you know, it takes a while to process that diagnosis. One of the many things that kept going through my mind was "I want to see my grandchildren grow up!!" God has given me 5 more years to watch them grow as well as five more years for me to experience so many other things. I don't know, as none of us do, how many more years I'll be here on this earth. But, I do know one thing, I'll never ever take one breath for granted. Today I am fine and able to enjoy life to the fullest and I intend to do that as long as possible. Thank you to all of you for my birthday wishes, but mainly thank you to all of you for what you mean to me. I thank God for you as I thank Him for every day.
Philippians 1:3-I thank my God in all my remembrance of you.
Psalm 118:24. This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. ...

It is only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up, that we will begin to live each day to the fullest; as if it were the only one we had.
~Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross~