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xxmadsenxxThe subject line pretty much explains what this is about. So, without further ado, here's my cheesy "I'm thankful for..." post. I'm going to make it extremely cheesy, I'm sure. Haha. Anyway, I'm thankful for:
My sobriety - I am SO thankful for my sobriety. Years ago, I never would have thought that I'd make it this far. I'm getting pretty close to the five year mark! I have been clean and sober since March 2, 2007, so that's what...(yes, I'm pausing to do the math and count on my fingers lol) 56 months and 23 days. Well, since it's past midnight, I guess that makes it 56 months and 24 days. No, I do not usually keep track of it to the day haha. I don't usually keep track of exactly how many months it has been, either. Not anymore. I only did that for the sake of this entry. I usually think of it in terms of "_____ years and _____ months." Although recently it's been more like "a little over four and a half years" or things like that...not very specific at all. Anyway, enough with the numbers. Back to the point, I'm incredibly thankful for my sobriety. It definitely hasn't been easy, but it's so worth it. Life is SO much better this way. Being sober has allowed me to become the person that I want to be. I still have plenty of work to do, but I don't think that type of work ever ends. I'm just thankful that I was able to turn my life around; for my kids, for my family and friends, and for myself. I want to be able to set a good example for my kids and be the best dad I can possibly be, and I can only do that if I'm sober. So I'm thankful that sobriety is giving me the chance to be the type of dad I wish I could have had. Not only that, but I'm thankful that sobriety is giving me the chance to have the type of life I want to have. I had to try about a million times to get to this point, but I'm so thankful that I finally got here!
Jenny - I am so thankful that I have her in my life. I never thought we'd have this type of relationship again. Not in a million years. I'm really glad we both worked on our own individual problems while we were apart, because if we hadn't, we wouldn't be able to have the relationship that we have today. I am so thankful that I get to (re)marry the love of my life. I wish it could have been this way the first time around, but oh well. Things are good now, and that's what matters. We have both grown A LOT since we were together before, and it shows in so many ways. I'm thankful that we have come so far together.
Evan - My son is the absolute light of my life. I couldn't ask for a better kid. He's sweet, loving, caring, thoughtful, smart, friendly, funny, well-behaved (most of the time), and he's so much fun to spend time with. I know this sounds super cliche, but he has made me a better person. Hell, for that matter, he saved my life. If it weren't for him, I'm almost positive I'd still be using drugs and drinking. Yeah, I wanted to get clean for myself as well, but he was my motivation. He is my motivation. When things get really hard, I just think about him. If I'm having a bad day, seeing him always cheers me up. Evan and I are extremely close, and I'm so happy about that. There's not one thing I would change about him or the relationship that we have. I love my little guy so much. I am so incredibly thankful for him.
The new baby - I'm really thankful that we're having another baby. I am so thankful that Jenny's pregnancy is going well. It was scary there for a while, but Jenny and the baby are doing great now, and I am so happy about that. I've said this many times before, and I'm sure I'll say it many more times after this, but being a dad is the best thing I have ever done. I'm really looking forward to this baby.
B - I'm really thankful that B is a part of my life. I now consider him one of my very best friends. He's like my little brother and a best friend at the same time. We're really close. I love spending time with him. He's funny, smart, and a lot of fun to hang out with. Plus he's great with Evan. Evan adores B, and vice versa. So that's definitely a good thing. B has helped me a lot. We talk to each other about anything and everything, and I know he's always there for me, just like I'm always there for him. We understand each other. It's really nice to have someone you can relate to. I'm also thankful that I'm a part of his life. I'm thankful that he has become a part of my family, and that we're able to be the family he never had. I'm really glad I'm able to help him. He's such a great kid, and he has so much potential. Now he's finally starting to realize that. I feel like me taking him in has kind of given him another chance at life. He had it rough, and he has already done so much (in a bad way) at such a young age. I hope I can help save him from going even further into it. When I first met B, he was basically in the exact same spot I was in at that age. I don't want him to continue down that path...it just gets worse and worse. I don't want him to have to go through all of that. So I hope intervening early will prevent it from happening. Anyway, the point is, I'm thankful that I have the chance to help him. Overall, I'm just thankful that we have each other.
My mom - I am so thankful for my mom and everything she has done for me. She's the only person who truly never gave up on me. I put her through a lot of shit--I mean A LOT of shit--but she stood by me through thick and thin. There's no way I could ever repay her for everything she's done for me, and all the sacrifices she's made for me. I'm REALLY thankful that they were able to catch and treat her cancer when they did. She's still doing great, with no signs of cancer! So I'm very thankful for that. I don't know what I'd do without my mom. I'll admit that I'm a mama's boy haha. I love my mom to death.
My siblings - I'm really close to my siblings. I always have been. Growing up, we had to be close. It was kinda how we got by. We were always there to support one another, and we still are. Travis has always been an amazing big brother to me. He has always looked out for me, and he's really supportive. He's one of my best friends in the world, and I can talk to him about anything. Cassie is the best little sister ever. She is the most thoughtful, caring sister anyone could ever ask for. I know she's always there for me, no matter what. And last but certainly not least, Jeremy. I hate that he's no longer here, but I am so incredibly thankful for the (almost) 20 years I got to spend with him. He was way more than my twin...he was my best friend in the whole world, and I'll always hold him close to my heart (and not just because there's a tattoo for him in that area haha). We had a lot of good times and a lot of bad times together, but good or bad, we were always together. I will never go a day of my life without missing him, but that also means that I will never go a day of my life without thinking about how much I love him, and how thankful I am that I got to have him as my twin.
My family - (The family members I haven't mentioned...like grandparents and extended family) I'm not going to sit here writing about every single family member I have, because that would be way too long, and honestly, I'd even bore myself with that. But I have a great family, and I'm thankful for all of them.
My friends - I have some of the greatest friends in the world. Some of them have been my friends since childhood, and some are newer friends, but how long I've known them isn't what matters. My friends have always been there for me. They're a huge support system. I always have a lot of fun with them, too. I'm really lucky to have such great friends. I'm also thankful for my past friends. I had to break myself away from certain groups of people in order to get/stay clean, but I'm still thankful for them. I remember them fondly and appreciate the friendship I had with them. I'm even thankful for the former friends I'm not fond of, because they played a huge part in my life. Good or bad, I'm thankful for the people in my past, because I wouldn't be the person that I am today if it wasn't for them.
Other Stuff - I just bolded the words "other stuff" because this part isn't about one specific person or thing that I'm thankful for, and I couldn't think of what else to call it haha. It's a brief cap of some things on a bigger level that I'm thankful for. Here comes some more cheesiness. It's honest cheesiness though! Haha. Anyway...I'm thankful that I'm able to provide for my family, and that we have a roof over our heads and everything we need. I'm thankful that we don't have to worry about where our next meal will come from or how we'll stay warm, like so many other people in the world do. And it's not just people in other countries...there are some "third world" type living situations in this country, too. But that's another topic entirely. I'm not going to get started on that right now. Anyway, I'm thankful that we have everything we need, and I'm thankful that we can be together. I'm thankful that my kids will have so many opportunities available to them, because opportunity is definitely not universal. It's something that's taken for granted. Basically, I'm just thankful for our well-being. I'll leave it at that, or this will be even longer, and even cheesier.
Ok, now I'm sick of using the word "thankful" haha. I told you it would be cheesy. That was WAY longer and sappier than I intended. Especially the length though...I was expecting it to be fairly sappy, but not nearly this long.
My sobriety - I am SO thankful for my sobriety. Years ago, I never would have thought that I'd make it this far. I'm getting pretty close to the five year mark! I have been clean and sober since March 2, 2007, so that's what...(yes, I'm pausing to do the math and count on my fingers lol) 56 months and 23 days. Well, since it's past midnight, I guess that makes it 56 months and 24 days. No, I do not usually keep track of it to the day haha. I don't usually keep track of exactly how many months it has been, either. Not anymore. I only did that for the sake of this entry. I usually think of it in terms of "_____ years and _____ months." Although recently it's been more like "a little over four and a half years" or things like that...not very specific at all. Anyway, enough with the numbers. Back to the point, I'm incredibly thankful for my sobriety. It definitely hasn't been easy, but it's so worth it. Life is SO much better this way. Being sober has allowed me to become the person that I want to be. I still have plenty of work to do, but I don't think that type of work ever ends. I'm just thankful that I was able to turn my life around; for my kids, for my family and friends, and for myself. I want to be able to set a good example for my kids and be the best dad I can possibly be, and I can only do that if I'm sober. So I'm thankful that sobriety is giving me the chance to be the type of dad I wish I could have had. Not only that, but I'm thankful that sobriety is giving me the chance to have the type of life I want to have. I had to try about a million times to get to this point, but I'm so thankful that I finally got here!
Jenny - I am so thankful that I have her in my life. I never thought we'd have this type of relationship again. Not in a million years. I'm really glad we both worked on our own individual problems while we were apart, because if we hadn't, we wouldn't be able to have the relationship that we have today. I am so thankful that I get to (re)marry the love of my life. I wish it could have been this way the first time around, but oh well. Things are good now, and that's what matters. We have both grown A LOT since we were together before, and it shows in so many ways. I'm thankful that we have come so far together.
Evan - My son is the absolute light of my life. I couldn't ask for a better kid. He's sweet, loving, caring, thoughtful, smart, friendly, funny, well-behaved (most of the time), and he's so much fun to spend time with. I know this sounds super cliche, but he has made me a better person. Hell, for that matter, he saved my life. If it weren't for him, I'm almost positive I'd still be using drugs and drinking. Yeah, I wanted to get clean for myself as well, but he was my motivation. He is my motivation. When things get really hard, I just think about him. If I'm having a bad day, seeing him always cheers me up. Evan and I are extremely close, and I'm so happy about that. There's not one thing I would change about him or the relationship that we have. I love my little guy so much. I am so incredibly thankful for him.
The new baby - I'm really thankful that we're having another baby. I am so thankful that Jenny's pregnancy is going well. It was scary there for a while, but Jenny and the baby are doing great now, and I am so happy about that. I've said this many times before, and I'm sure I'll say it many more times after this, but being a dad is the best thing I have ever done. I'm really looking forward to this baby.
B - I'm really thankful that B is a part of my life. I now consider him one of my very best friends. He's like my little brother and a best friend at the same time. We're really close. I love spending time with him. He's funny, smart, and a lot of fun to hang out with. Plus he's great with Evan. Evan adores B, and vice versa. So that's definitely a good thing. B has helped me a lot. We talk to each other about anything and everything, and I know he's always there for me, just like I'm always there for him. We understand each other. It's really nice to have someone you can relate to. I'm also thankful that I'm a part of his life. I'm thankful that he has become a part of my family, and that we're able to be the family he never had. I'm really glad I'm able to help him. He's such a great kid, and he has so much potential. Now he's finally starting to realize that. I feel like me taking him in has kind of given him another chance at life. He had it rough, and he has already done so much (in a bad way) at such a young age. I hope I can help save him from going even further into it. When I first met B, he was basically in the exact same spot I was in at that age. I don't want him to continue down that path...it just gets worse and worse. I don't want him to have to go through all of that. So I hope intervening early will prevent it from happening. Anyway, the point is, I'm thankful that I have the chance to help him. Overall, I'm just thankful that we have each other.
My mom - I am so thankful for my mom and everything she has done for me. She's the only person who truly never gave up on me. I put her through a lot of shit--I mean A LOT of shit--but she stood by me through thick and thin. There's no way I could ever repay her for everything she's done for me, and all the sacrifices she's made for me. I'm REALLY thankful that they were able to catch and treat her cancer when they did. She's still doing great, with no signs of cancer! So I'm very thankful for that. I don't know what I'd do without my mom. I'll admit that I'm a mama's boy haha. I love my mom to death.
My siblings - I'm really close to my siblings. I always have been. Growing up, we had to be close. It was kinda how we got by. We were always there to support one another, and we still are. Travis has always been an amazing big brother to me. He has always looked out for me, and he's really supportive. He's one of my best friends in the world, and I can talk to him about anything. Cassie is the best little sister ever. She is the most thoughtful, caring sister anyone could ever ask for. I know she's always there for me, no matter what. And last but certainly not least, Jeremy. I hate that he's no longer here, but I am so incredibly thankful for the (almost) 20 years I got to spend with him. He was way more than my twin...he was my best friend in the whole world, and I'll always hold him close to my heart (and not just because there's a tattoo for him in that area haha). We had a lot of good times and a lot of bad times together, but good or bad, we were always together. I will never go a day of my life without missing him, but that also means that I will never go a day of my life without thinking about how much I love him, and how thankful I am that I got to have him as my twin.
My family - (The family members I haven't mentioned...like grandparents and extended family) I'm not going to sit here writing about every single family member I have, because that would be way too long, and honestly, I'd even bore myself with that. But I have a great family, and I'm thankful for all of them.
My friends - I have some of the greatest friends in the world. Some of them have been my friends since childhood, and some are newer friends, but how long I've known them isn't what matters. My friends have always been there for me. They're a huge support system. I always have a lot of fun with them, too. I'm really lucky to have such great friends. I'm also thankful for my past friends. I had to break myself away from certain groups of people in order to get/stay clean, but I'm still thankful for them. I remember them fondly and appreciate the friendship I had with them. I'm even thankful for the former friends I'm not fond of, because they played a huge part in my life. Good or bad, I'm thankful for the people in my past, because I wouldn't be the person that I am today if it wasn't for them.
Other Stuff - I just bolded the words "other stuff" because this part isn't about one specific person or thing that I'm thankful for, and I couldn't think of what else to call it haha. It's a brief cap of some things on a bigger level that I'm thankful for. Here comes some more cheesiness. It's honest cheesiness though! Haha. Anyway...I'm thankful that I'm able to provide for my family, and that we have a roof over our heads and everything we need. I'm thankful that we don't have to worry about where our next meal will come from or how we'll stay warm, like so many other people in the world do. And it's not just people in other countries...there are some "third world" type living situations in this country, too. But that's another topic entirely. I'm not going to get started on that right now. Anyway, I'm thankful that we have everything we need, and I'm thankful that we can be together. I'm thankful that my kids will have so many opportunities available to them, because opportunity is definitely not universal. It's something that's taken for granted. Basically, I'm just thankful for our well-being. I'll leave it at that, or this will be even longer, and even cheesier.
Ok, now I'm sick of using the word "thankful" haha. I told you it would be cheesy. That was WAY longer and sappier than I intended. Especially the length though...I was expecting it to be fairly sappy, but not nearly this long.
