“A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues.”

– Marcus Tullius Cicero

It has been more than ten years since I first met my online friend, Theresa.  Both of us were participants in a forum for parents of children with attachment issues.  It was a frazzled group, and we did our best to lift each other’s spirits and offer encouragement  and suggestions that allowed us all to make it through another day of extreme parenting.  At some point the group disbanded, and we all went our separate ways.  About a year ago, Theresa and I met again on Facebook; and it has been a joy to read her posts about her family and to realize that we still share many common ideals.

When my granddaughter is grown, I will have parented nine children.  Now there are those who would consider that a not-too-shabby record for a mom, but Theresa leaves me in the dust.  Her children number in the double-digits, and the first digit is not “one.”  There must be many lessons to be learned in loving and nurturing and caring for twenty-some children, and Theresa’s post this morning highlighted one of those lessons.  When you live life on the edge and test your own limits daily, you learn to recognize and appreciate the blessings that lie amid the challenges.  When you choose to live a life that will test you, it is a good idea to come to it armed with gratitude.

Gratitude.  Today’s post from Theresa says:

I am going to try to post something I’m thankful for every day for the month of November. I challenge you to do the same.

What a wonderful opportunity for November — our official month of Thanksgiving.  Theresa, I accept your challenge.  Each day in November, at the end of my blog post, I will offer something that makes me thankful.  How about it, readers?  Are you thankful?  Let’s hear what you are thankful for today!

Today I am thankful for Theresa who lives her challenging life with grace and love and still finds the time to remind us to count our blessings.