Thank you.

These last few months life threw me a huge curveball, what could I possibly be Thankful for this holiday?  My incredible and amazing family and friends.  My parents have always been loving and supportive even through my hellish hormone filled teenage years.  They blessed me with the education, skills and emotional intelligence to be a well-rounded person.  They have loved me unconditionally for 36 years but that phone call was one of the hardest to make.  Telling them my marriage was over and I had been betrayed so harshly.  I knew they would continue to love me and see me through this difficult time but it’s still hard to reconcile that I brought this monster into their lives as well.  My parents, brother, sister in-law and friends were incredible.  They were there to listen, cry and let me vent.  They and many great friends checked on me regularly and their support gave me the strength I needed to make many life altering decisions I never thought would be a part of my life.  When deciding to drive from LA up to Seattle my mom flew down to LA to drive with me.  All those shattered pieces of my heart started to stitch themselves back together that day.  This wasn’t a mugging or break in where I could prevent a future instance by locking my doors, getting a gun or installing an alarm system.  It wasn’t a feeling of caution, being more vigilant or a fear of the night, this was constant by the man whom I shared my life with.   It’s hard to put into words the loss of security and sense of vulnerability that filled every moment those first few weeks.  Having someone physically by my side that truly loved me and only had my best intentions in their heart was beyond comforting. I realized I had been struggling underwater for two weeks trying to survive an emotional drowning.  I was able to pull my head above water that day my mom showed up on my doorstep in LA.  Every day since with the love and support of all of my family and friends, I get closer and closer to my sun drenched and palm tree filled beach.  There are not enough words or hugs to express the depth of my gratitude.   I look forward to the day I can show each of you my mended heart.  And for my family and friends with a pivotal role in my healing, the recognition in your eyes of the stitches you added, that will forever mend those tears.  I have had a few tough months but I get to be thankful for the most sacred facet of life, the love of family and friends.