grat·i·tude
ˈgratəˌt(y)o͞od/Submit noun
Four years ago when our world imploded finding something to be thankful for wasn’t easy. It was so easy to get stuck in the muck of the facts of that night, to look around and see your whole world turned on its side and just give up but then you look at the face of your five year old and 14 month old and thank God with everything you have that you still have them because without them this world just doesn’t make sense. And then something amazing happens, people you have never met band together just to make said 5 year old girl smile again…. You all know the rest of the story but let me tell you we had some dark days and nights and I won’t lie and say we don’t have them still, there just not as often. Over the years we climbed out of the dark with the help of the community, I’m not sure many people can say that. We were lucky and I’m thankful every day for the letters and donations that flooded our mailbox that lead us to have enough money to buy a horse named Strawberry. I’m thankful for a therapist named Ann Cook who was willing to try anything for that 5 year old girl and go the distance figuratively and literally. I’m thankful for Gene Talerico who was my strength when I couldn’t hold myself up. I’m thankful for those two little girls who were and still are my light when it’s dark. I’m thankful for all the people along that way that impacted us in such a positive way that giving up was never an option. Our lives have changed so much in such a short time, I feel like I have grown up much more than I ever would have if not for that night. I have friends I never would have, I go to events I never would have gone to and I have a relationship with my daughters that I never would have had. I know that sounds funny but when you go through hell with someone and get to come out the other side together it changes your relationship. It’s built on trust and honesty and it’s unbreakable and for that I am thankful. I’m thankful for the children who come to Marley’s Mission, it’s them that keep it all in perspective. It’s those children that define the word HOPE. These children though hurt and sometimes broken from the inside out have managed to invest in themselves and heal. They teach us more then we could ever hope to teach them. I’m thankful for the treatment teams at Marley’s Mission. The unsung heroes that stand on the front line 6 days a week. These ladies are truly something special; they are kind, generous, thoughtful and dedicated. Traci Berardelli, Jeanna Sebastianelli, Kim Portanova – Feibus, Joanne Farley, Jordan Ayers, Terri Schantz, Sue Thompson, Alishia Allegrucci, Shannon Sennefelder, Ann Cook and Kristin Connolly. I’m thankful for the outstanding Board of Directors. I can never say enough about this amazing group of people. They took a vision and made it reality, they eat, sleep and drink the mission and without them and their dedication to all things HOPE I’m not sure where we would be. I’m thankful for the volunteers and supporters of Marley’s Mission. It’s amazing when people understand the mission whether it’s because they are a survivor of trauma, they know a survivor of trauma or they simply just get it they are unstoppable. They don’t quite until the job is done, they come in after working a full day, they work on their days off or they remember without their donation the mission wouldn’t be able to operate. I’m thankful for my past, it has made me the person I am today. I’m thankful for my family even though we live so far apart I know that you are always there. This past year has been amazing. I could almost describe it as magical. Don’t get me wrong there has been some bad mixed with the good, there always will be but this year has been different; we have had more good than bad. We’ve built a forever home and have made it possible to treat even more children free of charge. My friendships have grown into something I truly cherish. I don’t know if everyone has friendships like mine but when I say they are special they are. Special doesn't do them justice but I can’t find a word that adequately fits. I’m thankful for Kyle who has truly changed our world for the better. It’s funny in a way to realize how empty your life was before you meet that one person and then you meet them and a light bulb goes off. You feel whole for the first time ever; you develop a relationship that is so strong that being vulnerable is no longer scary but something you want to be with that person. The girls love him and he loves them, it’s in all honesty something I never thought would be possible but so blessed to have found. Not only today but the other 364 days of the year I am thankful and I am blessed because of all of the people in my life that have made it what it is today. Even if we have never met know that because of you I give thanks.
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