Thank You - Word of the Week

(Gratitude n: A feeling of thankfulness or appreciation, as for gifts or favours. Ety: Middle English, from Old French, probably from Late Latin gratitudo, from Latin gratus, pleasing; from Indo-European roots)

This post was inspired by a friend, the lovely @tillyguernsey. There was quite a bit of sad news last weekend - what with the atrocity in Norway and the untimely death of Amy Winehouse (thanks Mum for texting me this news when I was rock climbing in the middle of nowhere...) and sometimes life can feel very much `there but for the grace of god` and I think it's really important to remind ourselves of what we've got that keeps us going even when times get tough. I've had a tough few months but things are really turning the corner - I've got a very exciting new job in social media, I had an awesome 30th bday, it was my 2nd wedding anniversary etc.

So here are a few things I am grateful for (yes, I know it's not list day)

1) My long suffering husband. He puts up with all my ranty-crazy-messiness all the time. Even (and especially) when I am half way up a rock face. I may not be the politest wife on earth "if it was that fucking easy to put my foot there I'd fucking do it grrrrrrr" but he puts up with it "that's it, you're doing really well". And also, he's championed this blog and bought me my laptop at Christmas speshly so I could pull my finger out and do some of this writing business. So yes, without him, life would be rather less good indeed.

2) My friends. All of you, whether you live in my computer, on my street, in my town or anywhere. I really can't get over how much you do for me. Making me laugh on twitter, sending me unexpected messages, holding my birthday BBQ on a day when it pissed down with rain (that's quite specific, you know who you are). Showing up to my BBQ on said rainy day. Cheering me up. Putting up with my drivel. Understanding my cake obsession (pretty much all my bday cards reference cake in some way. last year they were all shoe based. odd)

3) Social media. I frickin love it. Simples. When I wake up in the middle of the night the people in my computer are there to talk to me. When I can't remember who that flippin actress in the film I'm watching is....when I want to blog/tweet/write/talk/show people stuff. And also, when I want a new job....all solved by social media. Oh and when I'm lonely. It's there. genius stuff. And the cake is calorie free too.

4) Getting to help people. Even thought I've just finished my old job and so won't be working for a charity anymore, I so loved what I did. I even felt guilty that I loved my job so much that I thought I got more out of it than the people I was supporting. I'm not amazing by any means but I got to work with some incredibly talented, clever, amazing people and I've learned so much from them. I also had my eyes opened to life with disability - even though I have a disability myself. The last 18 months have been so fulfilling and humbling.

5) Rock climbing. It's forced me to face my fears for the first time in my life and prove to myself that actually, maybe, I'm not so bad at stuff. It's also helped me challenge my own perception of myself and that I don't have to sit within the narrow boundaries I had created for myself as `this type of person`. You can't classify everyone or anyone even. It's been incredibly liberating.

6) Music. Or more accurately, iTunes Spotify YouTube and Lucky Voice. As a result I have done my own `special` version of Do It Like A Dude, indulged my cheesy pop addiction and learned how to do the dance Christina Aguilera does in the Dirrty video. Oh and bought tons and tons of great music including Arcade Fire, Daft Punk, NIN, Adele, Two Trick Horse....and much more. Oh and people can send me music on Spotfy also, which I totally love.

So that's my gratitude list for this week. What are you grateful for? If you haven't told people you're grateful for all they do for you quick, give them a big snog. Or if that's inappropriate, then some cake.

That's all for today's post.

Thank you and good night

Stupidgirl has left the building