It’s been eight months since my last post. That post in March was about my goals for the year and those same goals are why I haven’t been devoting any time to my blog. I’ve been writing and working on my fitness. In 2017, when I wasn’t taking care of my kids, I was either writing my novel or working out, both of which will be the subject of upcoming posts.

Now that I’ve sent my manuscript off to my editor and taken some time away from writing for a few weeks, I wanted to return to the keyboard and to my blog. And while it’s a tired old theme this time of year, I wanted to focus on gratitude.

The coach of the fitness and nutrition accountability group that I’m a part of posted this video. Watch it with a tissue handy! And then consider calling someone that’s had a positive impact on your life and telling them about it.

After watching the video I kept thinking of Bun’s beloved art teacher who passed away only a week ago on her 51st birthday. Her death was unexpected – she went to sleep Sunday night and never woke up Monday morning; her family  told us she had suffered a massive stroke. She was a truly amazing teacher, and she made an incredible impact on my daughter, but part of the reason I feel so emotional about it all is that I’m not sure I ever really expressed to her how grateful we were to have her influence in Bun’s life. Her love of art, exuberance for life, and genuine kindness was contagious, and I really regret never telling her these things.

So with that in mind, here is a list, in alphabetical order, of all my Facebook friends followed by a single sentence about why I’m grateful for them (sorry to my few friends and family not on Facebook, but I had to draw the line somewhere). Obviously, I could write a book about how wonderful many of you are and what you mean to me, but for now, this:

Adam: I’m so grateful to know another Neil Gaiman fan.

Alex Tk.: I’m so grateful for your resilience.

Alex To.: I’m grateful for your easy-going attitude.

Amanda: I’m so grateful to you for making grad school a friendlier place.

Amy: I’m so grateful for the friendliness and positivity you shared at the OACA.

Andrew: I am so grateful to know someone that is so committed to their family.

Angela F.: I am so grateful for your daily dose of accountability and inspiration.

Angela J.: I’m so grateful for your work in genetics.

Anthony: I’m so grateful for the laughter and good vibes you brought to those long-ago parties.

Alyson: I’m so grateful to have had a boss that was also kind and genuine.

Barbara: I’m so grateful we became friends in junior high and that you have remained the big-hearted person I knew back then.

Blair B.: I am so grateful to know such a compassionate person.

Blair P.: I’m so grateful for the example you provide of service and respect for all people.

Bonnie: I’m so grateful that you are always a warm and welcoming person.

Britt: I’m so grateful for your gorgeous pictures of flowers that brighten my feed.

Brittany: I’m so grateful for all the evening Stroller Strides workouts you organized and led.

Cammie: I’m so grateful for the times we get to share a laugh and a chat before workouts or at our Fit4Baby get-togethers.

Carly: I’m so grateful for your positive posts.

Carolyn: I’m so grateful that you were such a cool boss and a good friend.

Carrie: I’m so grateful I have a close friend I can share so many fun experiences with on our double dates and family vacations.

Cheryl: I’m so grateful to know someone who’s a warm, authentic person.

Chris: I’m so grateful to be inspired by a fellow creative with an entrepreneurial spirit.

Christina: I am so grateful for the help and support you gave me when I wasn’t feeling confident about my teaching skills.

Christine: I’m so grateful to have made an amazing friend who is smart, caring, genuine, and cooks and bakes like a master chef.

Danelle: I’m so grateful to have met another person that is committed to their fitness journey.

Deborah: I’m so grateful for the art projects you’ve inspired.

Deena: I’m so grateful that our daughters could experience music together.

Elisha: I’m so grateful for your eloquence and insight on the issues that matter.

Elissa: I’m so grateful for the articles you post which are always incisive and interesting.

Elizabeth: I’m so grateful to often see your friendly face at birthday parties.

Elly: I’m so grateful I had a cubicle neighbor that made coming to work fun.

Erik: I’m so grateful for your spot-on movie reviews.

Erin: I’m so grateful to know someone that is warm and funny with an inner strength that’s inspiring.

Eugene: I’m so grateful for your calm demeanor and sly sense of humor.

Felix: I’m so grateful for all the work you do for our neighborhood and for your friendly attitude.

Gavin: I’m so grateful to know such a grounded, honest, real guy.

Gloria: I’m so grateful for your keen photographer’s eye.

Holly: I’m so grateful you’re a Hufflepuff; the world needs more of you.

Hilary: I’m so grateful that you brought Stoller Strides into my life when I needed it most.

Igor: I’m so grateful to have found the most wonderful person to spend the rest of my life with.

Inna: I’m so grateful for all the many days we spent together in our teens and twenties that have become a wonderful and colorful shared history.

Irene: I am so grateful I got to meet your kind, funny, determined self back in junior high and that we were able to reconnect recently.

Jackie: I’m so grateful to know another INFJ.

Jane: I am so grateful for your candor and kind heart and that we became friends in that long-ago FIG.

Janet G.: I’m so grateful to you for consistently being warm and welcoming.

Janet T.: I am so grateful for your quiet kindness.

Jayme: I’m so grateful to know someone who is passionate about art history.

Jennifer A.: I’m so grateful to you and your children for being so kind to my daughter when she was small.

Jennifer K.: I’m so grateful to you for taking a chance on my book and giving it a read.

Jennifer M.: I’m so grateful to know someone with such incredible strength, perseverance, and selflessness.

Jenny: I’m so grateful to know someone that isn’t afraid to be open about their life and their feelings.

Jerry: I’m so grateful to you for all the laughs and for taking us on a personal tour of NYC.

Jill: I’m so grateful for the cute and cool pictures you post on Facebook.

Jillian: I’m so grateful for your unrelenting dedication to the Goth community.

Jocelyn: I’m so grateful for your commitment to teaching.

Julia: I’m so grateful our daughters could share their preschool year together.

Julie: I’m so grateful that we got to work together on your awesome business.

Karina: I’m so grateful for your friendliness and humor.

Kate: I’m so grateful you introduced me to North End Metro.

Keela: I’m so grateful to you for always being friendly all those years ago at C+F.

Kim: I’m so grateful for your warmth and sensitivity and for welcoming me into your great group of friends in high school.

Laura: I’m so grateful for the positive energy you brought to our evening workouts.

Liisa: I’m so grateful to have a neighbor that is fun to chat with and makes a mean jar of pickles.

Lindsey: I’m so grateful to know someone that worked hard to make her goal of opening a school a reality.

Louis-Andre: I am so grateful for your humor and good nature and for the forthcoming song about Sad Kid.

Maddie: I am so grateful to you for making my daughter’s kindergarten classroom a place of light, love, and learning.

Madhulika: I’m so grateful for our friendly chats at the bus stop.

Maria: I’m so grateful to know someone with a spirit that shines like yours.

Marina: I am so grateful we got to know you better on our trip up to BC.

Melissa: I am so grateful for all the work you do for our school’s PTA.

Michelle: I’m so grateful for the way you inspire me with your commitment to fitness.

Nani: I am so grateful for the love of Hawai’i you instilled in my daughter.

Narmada: I am so grateful to have a neighbor that is warm and kind and easy to talk to.

Natalia: I am so grateful to follow along on your journies through the UK and beyond.

Natasha: I’m so grateful that our children had a swim class together so that my daughter could be exposed to such kind and wonderful older kids, and that I got to chat with their kind and wonderful mom.

Nate: I’m so grateful to know someone that’s both nerdy and cool.

Nathan: I’m so grateful to have a neighbor that’s smart and conscientious.

Nell: I’m so grateful I get to be inspired by your spirit of activism.

Olga G.: I’m so grateful for the morning conversations on the bus ride into UW.

Olga L.: I am so grateful for the beautiful vacations full of great family memories you’ve helped us plan.

Olga T.: I am so grateful to have a neighbor that is also my friend.

Peter: I’m so grateful to you for always making us feel welcome.

Polina: I am so grateful to have a wonderful MIL that is beautiful inside and out.

Qwyn: I’m so grateful for the days you brightened at C+F.

Rachel: I’m so grateful for your beautiful smile.

Roma: I am grateful for your loyalty, generosity, and tenacity even if it means you still won’t go to Via Tribunali.

Roxanne: I’m so grateful for our fun bus stop conversations, your great taste in pop culture, and that our kids get to spend first grade together.

Ruth: I’m so grateful I get to follow the important work you’re doing overseas through your posts.

Salva: I’m so grateful for your commitment to the environment.

Sara: I’m so grateful to know someone else that geeks out about Project Runway.

Sarah: I’m so grateful you opened up your home to Norman the Cat.

Shannon: I’m so grateful for the kindness you showed me while I was at C+F.

Sharaana: I’m so grateful for the friendly conversations that livened up my workday.

Sharon: I’m so grateful that you raised an amazing daughter and for the trip to NYC we took together.

Shelley: I am so grateful to know someone who is so committed to their writing career.

Shirley: I’m so grateful for the love of swimming that you are passing on to my girls.

Stephanie: I’m so grateful to know someone with such an adventurous spirit.

Susan: I’m so grateful for the beautiful photos you have taken that are now our treasured keepsakes.

Tamita: I’m so grateful to know such a compassionate person with a beautiful soul and great taste in music.

Theresa: I’m so grateful for your welcome cheerfulness and that because of a series of happy coincidences I keep running into you.

Tisha: I’m so grateful to have taken your kickass boxing classes.

Todd: I’m so grateful for how you made my life easier at C+F by being such a fantastic ePro artist.

Vlad: I’m so grateful for your inspiring work ethic and that you taught me how to floss all those years ago.

Yana A.: I’m so grateful that I get to be inspired by your world travels, your amazing fashion sense, and your positive attitude.

Yana T.: I’m so grateful to you for posting that video on the burrito method for getting the cover onto your duvet relatively gracefully.

Zorik: I’m so grateful to have someone friendly to chat with at family gatherings.