Instead of complaining about the bad things in my life, it’s time to be grateful. I’m sitting here with my furbaby Samantha in the dark at 4:00am on a Sunday. It’s so quiet. The temperature is surprisingly warm for January in Virginia so the windows are opened partway. All I hear are birds chirping. Samantha lightly snoring in her window seat. Last Sunday I was stressed and anxious about Sam’s upcoming surgery. Looking at her now, you’d never know it happened. She’s back to her playful, always hungry, always entertaining self. This time last week, I was so worried about Mom and her health issues. She is upstairs sleeping basically soundly, with a little medicinal assistance. She has a bronchial infection. We can deal with that. I had thoughts of pneumonia and hospitals and who knows what. They’re both healing and doing well. The two most important presences in my life. Mom, who has always been my biggest supporter, best friend, shoulder to cry on, strength to lean on, my constant. Mom doesn’t let me get too dark and withdrawn. She forces me to see the good things and stay positive. And Samantha, my emotional support furbaby. We rescued each other when Sam was 10 weeks old, almost eight years ago. Sam purrs away my chronic migraines and distracts me from my chronic daily pain. She makes me laugh through the depression and anxiety of not being able to work and my neverending search for relief and hopefully a cure. Between them, they are a formidable pair. I am so lucky and grateful to have them in my life and can’t imagine life without them. I realize that not everybody has a support system like mine and that’s heartbreaking. Reach out to someone, start a conversation, join a group, seek professional help. Do whatever you must to assure yourself that you are NOT alone and that YOU matter! Have a beautiful day! #AlwaysKeepFighting