It has been one of those weeks….we had some not brilliant news..my husband needs minor surgery to fix a hernia..normally not a big issue but there are a few potential higher risks due to him having had a liver transplant…plus we were told that our eldest furkid has a liver issue which could be life threatening….

Tell me, what is it with livers in this house?!

Since all that news, I have been feeling surprisingly washed out and tired.

Somehow I have misplaced that inner reserve that I used to frequently draw upon when my husband was so ill…I am hoping it’s because of my lack of thyroid, or maybe my meds aren’t kicking in as they should!

Maybe I am just as not as strong as I once was…

But although we have had our fair share of dramas, compared to what others are going through, ours are relatively minor….both the above issues maybe resolved with no more then a small speed hump in our often bumpy journey.

And there has been so much bad news in the past few days….the loss of all on board the Malaysian Airlines flight….another plane lost in Algiers….the fighting in Gaza…hearing that a fellow blogger lost her fight to live despite bravely going to Russia in search of medical assistance….the list goes on.

We don’t know anyone who has been lost personally, but I am not ashamed to admit that sometimes it can all become overwhelming…I can only imagine what the family, friends and colleagues of all who have so tragically been lost are feeling…

So today, I am doing what I used to do when things got too much….I make a list of everything that is good in our lives…what we can be grateful for..to remind me not to dwell on what I can’t control, and to get some perspective…

Being Grateful

We have shelter, food and warmth…

We have been lucky, and never had to worry about any of these….we have a lovely house that is warm in winter, cool in summer….we don’t need to worry about where our next meal is coming from.

We have good friends and family…

One thing I have learned over the years is the value of having support and love from those around you….it can make such a difference. And you do quickly learn who you can call on when there is an emergency…put it this way, some people will stay and do all they can…others will run a mile!

We are alive…and reasonable healthy…considering…

Well, at this very point in time we are both doing ok!

Things can change, but I keep telling myself that it’s no use worrying about that….worrying can only make things worse…

We live in a good country….

Yes, I know there are always issues…political and so on…but I am so very glad we live in this country Down Under!

For example, my husband was able to receive medical treatment, and receive a liver transplant…all free….I was able to get the help I needed to sort out my thyroid issues.

Australia is so far and wide, and there is so much to see and experience, that you could spend all your life exploring.

And nothing is better then a beautiful Aussie summer….

But most of all, we have each other..

My husband and I are best friends, soul mates….we have been through things that I would never wish on my worst enemy, and we stood firm.

And somehow we manage to survive what life throws at us, sometimes when everything seems bleak.

It is much easier to face the unknown with a loved one by your side!

So when you put all those points together, we have a lot to be grateful for!

What are you grateful for? And what do you do to cope when times get a little tough?