Don't know what you've got, till you get it back.

When I thought about what to say the Monday after Thanksgiving [in the US] this phrase kept running through my mind:

Don't know what you've got, till you get it back.

This year has been a time of getting back most of the things I'd always taken for granted. The year started with the possibility that cancer had returned in my husband's body, followed only days later by the death of my husband's grandpa. From that first week of January until the middle of October we saw the loss of jobs, a blown engine in our only car, health issues, family strife, and nearly the loss of our house. It was a really rough time made bearable only because we had faith and my husband and I leaned on each other.

But this blog isn't about what ALMOST happened; it's about what did happen.

What did happen was I learned to be thankful for the things I'd always taken for granted. You don't realize how much you value family until you have to spend time away from them.

You don't realize how much you value your home, until you nearly lose it.

You don't realize how much you value your job, until you don't have one.

The main thing I realized is the value of a mom and dad to their children. I've been a SAHM [Stay at home mom] for almost nine years now and I felt like...well I didn't feel good about myself. I had a college degree and recruiters calling me straight out of college. I had Grad Assistanceships available for the asking. But my husband and I learned we were expecting in my last semester of college and I wanted to be a mom to the child I was carrying.

When things were tight I always thought "Well, if I get a job it will all be okay." When I had to get a job I realized the grass might be greener but it still had to be mowed.

I know this isn't the usual topic of my blog but for today consider what your goals and priorities are. No amount of writing success will be worth anything if you forget what is truly important.

You only truly know the value of something when you lose it, and then get it back.

I'll see you tomorrow with our usual fare. And sorry for my long absence, I haven't had internet for almost 5 days and right now am paying by the hour for dial up. :-)