Welcome to another TTT! This week is Thanksgiving in the USA, so I thought a Thanksgiving/Thankful Freebie would be fun. Life is pretty hard for me and things don’t always go the way I’d hoped, but I still have so much to be thankful for. I enjoy taking a few minutes to think about the things that are going well for me, and the things I’m grateful I have. So that’s what I’ll be doing with this week’s prompt!
1. I’m thankful for my mom. She and I laugh together, cry together, and are pretty much the same person. She is always looking out for what I need and is the first one to help me whenever I need it.
2. I’ve finally gotten an answer (diagnosis) to a major health issue that I hope will improve my quality of life. There’s no cure, but there are things I can start working on to improve my symptoms. After being bounced from doctor to doctor for 15 years, last month a doctor finally told me that it’s not all in my head and that I should never let anyone tell me otherwise. This doctor is the most respected in his field and concentration in this entire region of the country (the wait to get in to see him was a year and a half), which means that my other specialists and doctors will also finally take me seriously. I’m also thankful that I’m finally getting a bit of a handle on another chronic condition I deal with. After trying different methods of treatment for a few years now, and doing a ton of my own research, I finally found something that is actually bringing a part of me back into balance. Everything every doctor had prescribed before was making me very sick, so I opted to just not treat it due to quality of life concerns. This year I found a doctor who was willing to work with me on a natural route of treatment I discovered, and my blood results prove that it’s working. And with no side-effects. I am so excited.
3. I’m thankful for animals, whether they are mine, a friend’s, or a stranger’s on Instagram! They never cease to make me smile.
4. I am thankful for books! I love reading, but it has been a struggle for me this year. I guess I’m in a slump because I haven’t been enjoying a lot of what I read. I found my way back to audiobooks a couple weeks ago after not listening to any for the bulk of the year, and I’ve been loving it! Plus, I’ve started my Christmas reading and I’m pulling myself out of my slump!
5. I’m thankful that I don’t have to worry about where my next meal will come from or where I will sleep tonight. I am so fortunate to have the things I really need.
6. I’m thankful for music, and the ability I have to connect with it on such a deep level through both listening and singing. I’ve been singing a lot more than usual this year, and it’s really doing wonders for my mental health. Did you know that singing and humming activates the vagus nerve? It’s obviously not the wonder cure for anxiety and depression, but it helps me a lot.
7. I’m thankful for my talents. I’ve done a lot of graphic design this year, which I love. I also love crocheting and cross stitching and anything else that lets me be creative.
8. I’m thankful for Christmas! This is my favorite time of year, and it makes me so happy. I love Thanksgiving, too, but Christmas brings me a level of joy that’s hard to replicate. I love the meaning of the season, the lights, the music, the food, and the togetherness it brings.
9. I’m thankful for nature. I live in a really beautiful place, with changing seasons, stunning snow-capped mountains (there’s seriously now up there about 9 months of the year), bright sunshine, blue skies, and so much natural beauty. I can drive 5 minutes and be at Target or 10 minutes and be up the canyon sitting by a river overlooking stunning vistas. I’m making it a goal in 2026 to get outside and soak more of it up. It’s so good for the body and the soul.
10. I’m thankful for my Heavenly Father. Without Him I’d be lost.
Happy Thanksgiving this week to all who celebrate!
What’s the biggest thing you’re thankful for this year?
I’m so thankful for you and that you come to my blog to see me.
I am so happy to hear that you had some good news about your chronic health condition this week. That is definitely good news!
A lovely list. I hope that next year is better for you. We are constantly on waiting lists for something. I’ve got an unknown thing, my oldest son is autistic and we are currently waiting for an ADHD potential diagnosis. We just take each day as it comes. Christmas is very exciting although we can only put soft unbreakable things up and on the tree 😂
Sending love and hope for next year
Oh nice! These are wonderful things to be thankful for! Glad you were able to find the right doctor to help you with your health. I know I still need to find a primary care doctor myself and have pretty much resigned myself to getting one who’s not a specialist with my condition. Apparently these doctors only treat children with it, but makes me wonder what we’re supposed to do when we become adults with said condition. I just know I have things that are likely consider “oddities” that other doctors would want to look further at, but it’s like no, that’s totally normal and benign for someone like me! Lol. My mom is also my best friend and rock, I would likely have fallen apart years ago if it weren’t for her.
I ended up keeping my bookish as I feel like when I get serious about the things I am thankful for they always end up being the same thing because I am truly thankful for them! So I turned it into a bookish thankfulness topic! Lol.
Here’s my Tuesday Post
Have a GREAT day!
Old Follower :)
Congratulations on getting a diagnosis and proper treatment for your condition! That’s huge.
I’m so glad you found someone who will help you manage your chronic condition with natural remedies! That’s a game-changer for sure.
I’m hoping to get outside more in 2026 as well!
I’m so so happy for your #2!! Thanks be to God!
And amen to 10!! Same here
Happy Thanksgiving, Jana! I am very thankful our house has finally sold! It has been on the market since the end of May. It is a huge stress relief. I am very thankful you have a diagnosis and things are improving! Getting a doctor to take you seriously is half the battle!
A lovely list!
It must be such a relief to find a doctor who seems to get you and propose somthing that could work!
What a beautiful list!
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thank you!
I’m glad you found answers! I know how frustrating and demoralizing it can be to suffer without answers.
What a wonderful list! I’m so glad that you are finally being listened to and that you are finding some helpful methods to manage your symptoms. I also suffer from a chronic, incurable disease (Type 1 diabetes), so I understand how “fun” these are ;) I also enjoy cross-stitching. I’m especially glad that I’ve been able to do more of it this year after having a hand surgery that fixed my tendonitis. Yay! Cross-stitching is so relaxing, and I’m FINALLY finishing up a birth announcement/sampler for my TWO YEAR OLD granddaughter, LOL. Better late than never!
Happy Thanksgiving and Happy TTT!
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
So happy for the answer on your health. I hope it leads to better quality of life for you.
I hope everything will go good for you. Have a great week. Happy Thanksgiving. Here is my TTT.https://dmhoisington.wordpress.com/2025/11/25/top-ten-tuesday-11/
All wonderful things to be thankful for Jana. I’m thankful for all my blogging friends, especially you and that you sponsor the Top Ten Tuesday each week.
I love your list and your honesty! I too have been passed around this year to a million specialist. I also have those reading slumps. I’m so happy you are on the right path to getting relief. Keep advocating for yourself!!