Gratitude

It was Thanksgiving in the US, so I thought it would be appropriate to post a happy post. Even considering everything I've been through in my life, I have a lot to be grateful for. And as my late wife always used to say - it is not humanly possibly to be thankful and depressed at the same time. So here goes:

• I am thankful that I am still alive. After being beaten until I lost conciousness, three suicide attempts and four drug overdoses, that certainly isn't something I can ever take for granted. 
• I am thankful that there was always someone who believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself. 
• I am thankful that my grandmother had the courage to fight for custody of two extremely troubled teenage boys when she was already well past her child-rearing days.
• I am thankful for the opportunity to get help when I was still relatively young, and to turn my life around.
• I am thankful for the 20 years that my darling wife was part of my life.
• I am thankful for 17 years, 6 months and 4 days clean and sober.
• I am thankful for the ability to live a full life, without the need for medication to keep the PTSD under control.
• I am thankful that I learned to be more gentle, both my myself and other people in my life.
• I am thankful that I learned to be vulnerable when necessary, even though it scares me.
• I am thankful for my daughter. 
• I am thankful for the few close friends who have been there for me through a lot of hardship.
• I am thankful for my twin, who is always there to save me from myself.
• I am thankful that I didn't give up the fight.
• I am thankful for having a wonderful woman in my life again, who fills my future with hope. 
• I am thankful for the opportunity to write this blog and make a difference in someone else's life.
• I am thankful for God's forgiveness.
• I am thankful for my health.
• I am thankful for a wonderful therapist.
• I am thankful for this journey of recovery.
• I am thankful that I have rediscovered the joys of the open road under my feet.
• I am thankful that someone at Adidas developed such amazing running shoes!
• I am thankful that this list is significantly longer than I thought it would be when I started...

I hope all my American readers had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

To those who are in too much pain to find something to be grateful for, I wish you peace and recovery and that by this time next year, you will also be making a gratitude list.