I am a firm believer that the more I recognize the good that has happened this week, the easier it is to deal with a week full of Mondays.

And this week has been a Monday. All freaking week. It wasn’t just me, either. Everyone I talked to, from friends, coworkers, customers and Bridget’s team said their week felt like one long freaking Monday.

Which brings me to the first thing to be grateful for

1. That others acknowledge bad days. That when I say this has been the longest Monday, and it is Thursday they immediately get me and make me feel less alone.
2. That my week started with brunch with two of my friends from high school. That we shared, laughed until we cried and shared the hard times. The times that in the grand scheme of things, are less than world hunger but more than noticing the milk has gone sour after your first sip of coffee. That the time went by so fast it wasn’t until we got home that we realized we forgot to take the group selfie. Again.
3. That I’ve kept this basil plant alive. Those who cannot grow, buy their herbs from the grocery story and the fact that after multiple attempts to grow my own have failed, my Market Basket basil is alive and well.
4. Wine, because let’s face it life is always better with Pinot Grigio.
5. When I lost my shit last weekend after Bridget screamed she hated me (while hugging me) my husband didn’t try to fix me. Instead, he held me and said, this really sucks.
6. That my mom is finally healthy enough to go out to dinner and ate her entire meal.
7. That my sister-in-law read how I blame her mom for the “mothers curse” post and saw the humor (and agreed with me).
8. That at Bridget’s IEP this week, her team were kind at keeping my expectations in check and understood my need to make Bridget as independent as possible before she leaves their school.
9. That I have a village that remember all of Bridget’s appointments and check in to make sure I am okay. That they check in to share their own struggles so that I do not feel like I am always taking from them. That at the brunch on Sunday, they just assumed Bridget would be there and when she was not poured me a really big glass of wine and let me really relax for the first time in too long.
10. That my week ended with mall pizza with Bridget and another best friend who didn’t care that we were at a food court. She laughed when shoe shopping for Bridget took 2.2 seconds and when we strolled the mall, she engaged with Bridget. Friends that bring Bridget out of her shell and into the world around us is priceless.

A week full of Mondays could leave me crying in my wine. But as hard as this week was? It was also full of more than ten things that brought a lightness to my week. The friends that make this unexpected life so much easier to navigate the speed bumps life keeps putting in our way.

What are you thankful for this week?