Weekly Gratitude Linky 2013-12-06

“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.” 

 - Marcel Proust

This week I am grateful for:

• My sister A, who looked after S for me on several occasions. Including on Sunday morning, when I'd been ill all night and she could see I was struggling and sent me back to bed for a few hours. Yesterday she spent the day hanging about my flat just in case nursery called to send S home poorly, because she knew how important it was for me to be able to go to work and earn some money.

• Theresa, who is technically my client, but more like my adoptive mother/friend. Not only has she bought endless gifts for S (including a beautiful porcelain angel for our Christmas tree this week), she also makes a point of telling everyone how fabulous I am, and routinely tells people point blank that they should hire me. She and her husband Simon are like my PR department and if it wasn't for them I'd still be languishing in some awful office job, wishing I could do something more interesting in order to earn money.

• My friend Anne, who has her fair share of trouble to contend with, but still texts and Facebooks me on a regular basis to check how I'm doing. The woman is a rock. But more beautiful than a normal rock.

• My friend Holly. Another person who has more than her fair share of troubles, but is nevertheless there whenever I need her - even if I don't ask for help. She did something last week that actually made me cry. And this week she and her sister and her sister's teeny tiny baby came and met me for lunch. I found myself feeling quite jealous of Holly's sister, having her there to help with everything and be so generally awesome. 

• My lovely friend Simon, who always has time to send very kind texts to lift my spirits. And who, when I told him I was not very good company at the weekend, replied "there's no such thing lovely." Exactly what you want in a friend, no? He's also one of the rare people who not only encourages me in my writing, but will tell me when something's a little off and needs changing slightly. Something we all need.

• I am also grateful for the free publicity my blog will receive next week/month, in the form of a short piece in Mother & Baby Magazine about dating when you're a single parent. They're very kindly including a mention of the blog at the top of the piece, and I'm very grateful that the journalist who wrote it thought of me in the first place. How lucky am I!

• And, of course, I am endlessly grateful for my beautiful little S. She is full of cold and temperature this week, but also mischief and fun and learning. She's at that stage where there's a new word, a new understanding, every day. It's simply wonderful.

What are you grateful for this week?

Sit and have a think of something for which you are thankful... see how it improves your mood!

If you feel like blogging about it, or you already have a post about being thankful, please link it up here!