I'm thankful for my children, both of whom have the unique capability of bringing me great joy and great frustration, often simultaneously, but without whom I would be empty inside.

I'm thankful for my friends, who, in the last year or two, have stood by me through many changes and the up-and-down roller coaster that became my life temporarily, who nursed my spirit and refueled my confidence, and who were right beside me, literally or figuratively, when I needed it most.

Finally, I'm thankful that, through some weird twist of fate, something I thought was only a dream came true for me this year, and that the twenty intervening years since we last saw each other only strengthened a bond that was established long ago, that I have someone in my life who loves me for the many-faceted person I have become and who appreciates each and every aspect of both the girl he knew then and the woman I am now.

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"Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don't, and believe that everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, then let it, and if you have to wait for what you really want, take the time because nobody said that life would be easy. They just promised it would be worth it." ~ Unknown author