For today, I am grateful

I have realized some things today:

• Humor will see you through tough situations (as long as you are not laughing at others)
• Only you are in charge of your own reaction to situations
• You have power and strength within yourself to rise above anything
• No one can make you feel inferior without your cooperation (yes, trite, but true)
• Music can soothe your soul
• You should not define yourself by your title (define yourself by who you are inside)
• True friends come out in the worst of times (you will then know who they really are)
• The people you want to surround yourself with are the ones with pure souls
• You can dream big and reach your dreams if you put forth the effort

I have been in a "good place" for a solid 24 hours.  I think the turning point came last night when I realized that I had snapped at both my children living at home.  That is not the person I want to be, nor is it fair to them.  They deserve better than that.  I felt really bad about that and I think it spurred me to take back control of my attitude.
I spent the entire day at work finding humor in the simplest things and situations.  I actually laughed out loud several times and even poked fun at myself.  I did not make fun of others to lift my spirits though.
I choose uplifting songs to listen to on the way to work and on the way home.  I burned a CD that I titled "strong music".  Some of the songs on it are "I will survive" (Gloria Gaynor), "The climb" (Miley Cyrus), "No more drama" (Mary J Blige), and  "Woman in the Moon" (Barbara Streisand)  Those songs are great to sing along with when no one can hear you.  The messages in those lyrics kept me in a place of inner strength.
I found solace in true friends around me and had conversations only with supportive people.  I discussed my big dreams with one particular friend and found comfort in her ability to relate to those dreams and her encouragement to me to follow my own path.
When I returned home from work tonight, I was happy to be around my family again.  I spent some time helping the little one with homework and I am looking forward to some quiet time with my husband.  It feels good to be at peace again, if even just for 24 hours.

Tomorrow is probably the last nice weather day for us for several months and I am planning on finding more joy tomorrow, just like today.  I know with the grief cycles, that this may not be my "permanent" state of mind through the next 9 1/2 weeks and longer, but it is sure encouraging and relieving to feel it today.  For today, I am grateful.