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My Friend Taught Me...

I have a friend who recently blogged about a game she liked to play called the Glad Game. She learned it from the movie Pollyanna. I have never seen Pollyanna, but I will trust if my friend says it's good, it must be. To play the game you take inventory of everything around you and find things to be glad about. Now, my friend who taught me this game has every reason in the world to be bitter and angry at the crappy things that have happened to her and her family recently. Yet, here she is playing the Glad Game. I'm not exaggerating when I say my friend is my hero and I strive to be more like her everyday. Tonight especially I was taking life hard. Mr. Hubs was out later than normal, I was tired and all 3 kids were screaming. Normally I would get very grouchy with the kids and wallow in self pity for a little bit. However tonight I thought of my friend and the Glad Game. While they might have been screaming and things might have been a little overwhelming tonight I was glad. I was glad because I have 3 beautiful and healthy children whose smiles can melt your heart. Having multiples I am painfully aware of the risks to them and the possibilities of health problems and they could have been in NICU at birth. I was blessed with 2 gigantic healthy babies. I am glad I have my kids when so many people out there want a baby so much and are unable to. Or, there are people out there who have a child for only a brief moment before they are taken away from them for one reason or another. I can't even imagine that grief. Working in child abuse for 10 years taught me the fragile tight rope we walk. I am glad that the worst thing my daughter has suffered through was getting her dress up clothes taken away. I am glad that Mr. Hubs and I are in a position that I can stay home with my kids when so many of my friends and people I know can't. I am glad that I am married to my best friend and I truly believe he is the person made for me. I was adopted when I was a toddler. While that comes with its own bag of issues I am glad for the experience and I am glad that I was adopted by family and I get to know my "people." I moved to Tulsa nearly 8 years ago not knowing a soul other than Mr. Hubs. I am glad that I have made the wonderful friends I have. Each of them have helped shape me into a better person. And, tonight as I get ready to go to bed I am glad that I have a roof over my head, a home I love and food to eat. There are so many out there who don't have any of that and wonder where they will get their next meal. I am glad that my family and I are provided for and that my kids don't know what it is to be hungry. Most of all I am glad to be loved and to have the ability to love. Okay, that's as sappy as I will get...I wanted to share the Glad Game with you, especially as we get close to Thanksgiving and take inventory of all the things we are thankful for. We need to remember to be thankful and glad all year, not just at Thanksgiving.

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