Every day is a new chance to start again. Even within my struggles with depression, anxiety, and chronic health issues, including but not limited to trigeminal neuralgia and migraines, each day is new. I have choices to make every day.

I can’t always choose how to think or feel. In fact, often I cannot choose to look on the bright side, however I can choose to be grateful. I can be grateful for my sweet girl (who is one of the most caring and understanding humans I have ever met). I can be grateful that even though I do have chronic illness, depression, and anxiety that I get to homeschool her and spend every single day with her. I can be grateful for a family who loves me and encourages me to live a life I love. I can be grateful for friends, a few very close friends, who I consider family. Being adults and all having our own families means we don’t get to see each other often or even speak as often as we’d like but I know they are in my corner and I am in theirs. I can be grateful for flowers blooming and hummingbird sightings and walking to check the mail. I can be grateful that as challenged as by body is that there are so many things is does correctly. I can be grateful for future plans and trips on the calendar. I can be grateful that I have a glass of ice water next to me and a warm cup of tea. I can be grateful for the roof over my head and abundant food in the cupboards.

This life isn’t perfect. I cannot control how my own mind exists or how I feel inside my own body but I can choose to have a grateful heart.