Grateful

I am grateful for friend's kids to take photos with.

I am grateful for a job that I love and coworkers who check in on me with genuine interest.

I am grateful for trips out of the city.

I am grateful for rainy days.

I am grateful for opportunities to volunteer for an amazing organization that is seeking to support work done in the developing world. (Do Good Lab - you can volunteer too!)

I am grateful for opportunities to grow in my faith, and reminders that Holiness is not sin management but finding identity in my Creator.

I am grateful for Mad Men parties and vintage dresses and hair and makeup that gets a reaction.

I am grateful for late night movie showings on opening weekend and chocolate covered espresso to keep me awake for it.

I am grateful for cheese and gluten free crackers.

I am grateful for lattes and americanos and coffee.

I am grateful for the reminders to grieve, even when I don't want to and even when all I can do is cry for the fictional character, because crying for the real life and death of those I have cared for still feels like too much.

I am grateful for Christian family and biological family and for the reminder that I was created to be in relationship and I that I want to find love and I need to find love and I am grateful that that reminder reminds me that seeking love is worth the risk, even if it is hard.

I am grateful for close friends and best friends and sisters.

I am grateful that God chose to take on flesh and show us what living a life of love looks like.

I am grateful for reconciliation and forgiveness and hard conversations that lead to better relationship.

I am hopeful that the issues of racism in our country that are being brought to light will someday lead to greater reconciliation as we acknowledge that we have yet to fully seek restoration but have instead sought to hide our mistakes. I am grateful for friends and community that are willing to take these issues on and seek healing and renewal and admit that we are still wrong.

I am grateful for grace.