Gobble gobble!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I am so thankful for so many things but primarily I am thankful for all of you. Thank you for your support, your generosity, your kindness, your advice, and your love. Yes, I can feel your love all the way over here in Paris. In the years past, I admit, I really didn’t consider being thankful all that much. I would usually just have Thanksgiving dinner, fight with my family, say a prayer and get ready to Christmas shop the next day. I still do that but now I stop to think that I am truly grateful and thankful for so many things. Do you want to know what I’m thankful for?

I am thankful that my daughter is strong. I am thankful that she is funny. I am thankful that she is tender, shy and doesn’t take 500 selfies of herself and post them on social media. I am thankful that she likes to cook. I am thankful that she is smart and witty and not a moron. I am thankful that she values family and loves traditions.

I am thankful for my husband. I am thankful that he wakes up five times during the night to move my legs. I am thankful that he still thinks I’m pretty. I am thankful that he only annoys me part of the time. I am thankful that we like to do everything together. I am thankful that he brings me surprises every day. I am thankful for his OCD that causes him to overly organize our apartment.

I am thankful for my friends. I am thankful for all the craziness, the drama, the love, the laughter, the tears, the cigarettes and the wine.

I am thankful for my friends who act like my family… Jenny, Gage, Sabena, Yolanda, Dfoz, Gigi, Bella, Anwar, Susan, Sarah, Diandra, Hawk, Hudson, Imara, Taren, Allegra, Ursula and Madison, Debbie, Kelsey, Colton, Mer, Melinda, Yvonne, Christy, my sweet Susie and John Claude, Tom… All of you guys.

I am thankful for all of my nieces and nephews. I am especially thankful that my nephew Cody has become the most amazing adult.

I’m thankful for my cousins… Well, most of them.

I’m thankful for my sister even though she doesn’t like antiques.

I am thankful for my mother who has taught me everything even though she’s a tad bit psycho.

I am thankful that everyone loves Gracie and will raise her and take care of her if I am not here.

I am thankful for Gracie’s father, Dylan, because he is awesome. I am thankful for Gracie’s stepmothers, Augusta and Jessica, because they love Gracie. I am thankful for Gracie’s other father, John, because he adores her. I am grateful that Gracie’s grandparents think that she is the greatest gift on earth.

I’m especially thankful for Tom because he is a therapist and my friend and calls me every single day to make sure I laugh and am not suicidal. :-)

I am thankful for my new remarkably wonderful friend Rex because we have a shared sense of humor and because all of his emails are grammatically correct. I am thankful that he cares so much about me.

I am thankful that my caregivers haven’t killed me.

I am thankful for my three friends who have ALS as well. Thank you for understanding the devastation, the frustration, the sadness, the embarrassment, the helplessness and the sheer terror of all of this.

I am thankful for my cat, Frances, even though she ignores me 90% of the day.

I am thankful that I have a pretty apartment. I am thankful that I am lucky enough to live in Paris.

I am thankful that my doctor prescribes plenty of crazy pills for me.

I am thankful for American grocery stores in Paris.

I am thankful that I have American iTunes so I can watch The Real Housewives.

I am thankful for Picard.

I am thankful for all of my doctors…all 25 of them.

I am thankful for my gorgeous male nurse, Pierre. I am thankful for my gorgeous kinesiologist, Paul. Thank you for not being ugly.

I am thankful for my new caregivers, Ayra and Victor. Thank you for not being stupid.

I am thankful that I have woken up every day for the past four years with a smile on my face even though I know the challenges that I face every day. Even though my heart is broken, I am thankful that I have had 44 glorious years of my life with my friends, family, Gracie and David. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!