52 Weeks of Gratitude - Something I Love To Wear

I hadn't been diagnosed a full year when I accepted the challenge of taking over the creation of a local Walk MS Team.  Our team "No MS'ing 'Round" was a success!  We received a very generous amount of donations from coworkers and family.  We also had a large turn out for our team on what was a very chilly Western PA day (snowflakes joined in the day's festivities).

For those who wanted to share in the Team Spirit, I had tshirts made.  They were simple grey tshirts with "No MS'ing 'Round" on the front and that year's Walk MS design on the back. 

I LOVE these tshirts!  Yes, I say tshirts!  The printer somehow duplicated the order and even after selling additional tshirts and donating all of the money from them, I still ended up with 10 tshirts in my drawer.

These tshirts are comfy.  COMFY.  I would live in them if I could.  Sadly, my girls are starting to notice clothing choices and I've heard "MOOOOM, you wore that shirt YESTERDAY!" 
"No, I wore the one that is in the dirty laundry.  This one is clean!" I will reply.  But, that argument doesn't satisfy them and I am made to change shirts prior to going out in public.  But really, the love of the tshirts and the love of the girls are so close that it's a very hard decision.  Heck, there are days the tshirts will win - this Momma can be just as difficult and ornery as her kids.   

Beyond the pure comfyness of the shirt, I think it is also a symbol of how I have been able to fight the MonSter.  I am taking my MS and letting people know about it.  I am starting teams for the Walk MS events.  I am building a team - not only to support me on my Walk MS events, but to support me in my everyday life when I get a smidge down or simply want to vent.

When I'm feeling down, the comfort of the shirt is there . . .  the feeling of it, but also for the memories.  What a great group of friends and family I have that have stuck with me after my MS diagnosis!  This group of friends and family keeps me determined that the MonSter is not going to win!

52 Weeks of Gratitude - Let's Get Started

The last few years have had some insane highs as well as some devastating lows.  Throughout it all, I have attempted to keep a level head and seek the positive in each situation.  Yes, this was sometimes a very, very difficult goal, but I still tried.  I will put it out there right now that I am still horribly bitter with my employment situation and how corrupt persons were rewarded with millions of dollars and all the persons at my level (the peons) were rewarded with large pay cuts and the stress of attempting to find postions and employers that were even minimally comparable to what we had.  Please, when you are hating on your employment, PLEASE remember the grass is NOT greener on the other side and that the famous saying/song "don't know what you've got 'til it's gone" is VERY true. 

But, let's get me back to today's subject . . . . 52 Weeks of Gratitude.

There are quite a few different "lists" on Pinterest regarding this.  Here is one.  Another list can be found here. 

On top of those lists, there are also tons of 52 week photo challenges, Love me challenges and Thankfulness Challenges. 

I am NOT going to stick with any of the challenges.  Instead, I'm going to pull a few from each, ones that interest me.  I've seen many posts that bloggers have stated they started the challenge and got fried.  I know that, should something not interest me, I will quit it.  So, I'm simply going to wing it and pick something each week that I feel I can write on.

And, I don't expect each week to be a Mary Sunshine "my life is so gosh darn perfect" type of response.  Sometimes, it appears the subject that appears to be the most positive is actually the one that draws out the anger, bitterness, sadness, fear, or other such low emotions.  it is my hope that, in drawing out these emotions, I can better see myself and determine the reasons for the emotions as well as how to embrace them, and come out a stronger person - - - where I can be grateful for the negatives as well as the positives.

I am giving myself the goal of posting a new entry every week on Friday.  Keeping my fingers crossed I can do this!