I admit it. There are plenty of weeks when I forget to feel grateful for all the blessings in my life—like having a husband I’m still madly in love with after decades of marriage or the opportunity to do the writing work I love.

Instead, I’m often guilty of focusing on the things that are not going well, such as the darned dropped foot that still has me walking with a limp post-spinal surgery, or the horrific fall our younger son took while climbing a mountain in Mexico and the months it will take for him to recover.

But today, as I reflect on events of the past week, I am feeling incredibly lucky and aware of just how fortunate I am. Here’s a rundown of things on my grateful list:

• Even though my older sister told me that “no one wants to read about how much you love your husband,” I have to start with him! Today is his birthday, an opportunity to celebrate the guy I’m blessed to spend my life with. My gift was a turntable, and he was like a little kid lugging his beloved rock albums from the basement and excitedly playing them for me on his new equipment. Is there anything better than helping that special person feel loved and valued? If there is, I’ve yet to find it.
• A writer friend, Erv Klein, is redoing his website and asked me to do a blurb for his delightful novel, SQUAT. What fun to be able to support another author whose work I love!
• Another nice thing that happened is that my newly released novel, DEADLY SETUP, received a lovely review on Shelf Unbound:
  https://issuu.com/shelfunbound/docs/indie_debut_issue-2022_aug_sept/s/16481663
• And finally, I got the exciting news that my first adult mystery, MISSED CUE, will be published next year by Melange Books (the same company that published DEADLY SETUP and LEISHA’S SONG under their YA imprint, Fire and Ice). When I got the email from the publisher in which she recounted all these positive things the acquisition editor said about the book and offered me a contract, I wrote back: I AM THRILLED! in all caps. And I am.

All in all, it was a wonderful week. I wish I could say all weeks are like this, but of course, they’re not. I’ve experienced plenty of writing disappointments and rejections, as well as other setbacks in my life and the lives of my loved ones. But I’ve decided to make a pact with myself to never forget to appreciate all the good things in my life—even on those weeks when it’s really, really hard to do that.