An Attitude of Gratitude...

This is what I have cultivated over the span of the last five or six days. There are a few reasons why, and I will elaborate on them. But just know that it has been a really long-assed week.
#1: I do NOT have breast cancer. For that I am extremely grateful. For a few days this past week that was real possibility. I am not quite fifty, yet. So I have figured that my good health was a given. I have had the great fortune to be pretty darned healthy all of my life. No congenital diseases, no risky behaviors leading to dire consequences, nada. I hardly ever drink and I have never smoked, so it would seem that I am a shoo-in for a long life.
This week that theory was almost thrown out the window. But at least now the doctor has assured me that I'm still cancer-free. At least as far as my breasts are concerned. Good, just one less thing to have to deal with.

#2: I'm grateful that I don't have to trade on the open market to make a living. Not as of now, at least. This week I stood by and watched the American economy take a nose dive and wondered what I would do. I have been learning how to trade on the market for about 2.5 years now. I mean I have been studying it very diligently. There are times when I feel that my confidence level is right up there and I do a bit of trading. Some successful, some not so much. But, I can see the merits of doing this for a living, so I stick with it. I know that as I do this my expertise will grow and I will be extremely successful at it.
This week was a real test of my willingness to continue forward. I know that there were quite a few people out there who actually made a killing on a falling market, I understand the mechanics of the thing enough to know this. But, when I went to put it into practice, put my very real money on the line, I just didn't feel like it was right. So, I stood by on the sidelines and watched the stock market roller coaster up and down, like an attraction at Busch Gardens. With my cancer scare, it was kind of hard to really concentrate on what was going on, but at the end of the week I am glad that I sat it out. I still have my own 'nut' to trade with. I didn't lose a dime, which is fine. One thing I have learned with the market- there will be other opportunities coming around later. And I will be able to utilize them.

#3: My husband returned from Iraq in one piece, safe and sound. For that I am extremely grateful, too. When I look back on his photos it looks like he was actually enjoying himself, as hard as it may seem. He was in his military element, after all. He got a chance to see history being rewritten right in front of him. (He actually sat on one of Saddam Hussein's thrones. A photo that he would rather not think about, as he's embarrassed by the 'tourist' aspect of it. I think it's kinda cool myself, a sort of 'conquering army' kind of moment. The great-grandchildren will love that picture in years to come.) Among the adventures he got to participate in was a sandstorm that lasted almost 3 days, he woke up daily to a fine dusting of sand all over his bunk. He also got to see first hand what an amazing force the United States Military really is. There is no finer group of soldiers in the entire world.
But, now he is back home- it took nanoseconds for him to get used to being 'free and easy', the American way. Sometimes I feel we take too much for granted. But that is why Art went to Iraq in the first place- to make sure that we all can continue to live as we are accustomed.

So, all in all it was a really busy week. A week fraught with lots of problems, but one that I'm glad I got to participate in. There were a lot of trials that I had to face on my own. But, I guess that is why God gave me the head that is currently on my shoulders. He knew that I would be able to handle what was presented to me. And yeah, I'm grateful for the vote of confidence.