Counting My Blessings

Today I get to introduce you to an author who writes on the spicier side! Hunter Raines holds an Honors B.A. in English Literature, and is the author of numerous short stories and novellas. When she's not working or writing, she can be found curled up in her library of more than four thousand books, or playing video games with her husband. She also shares my love of crafting supplies, although I think she puts her's to better use!  Find her on her website, Twitter, and Facebook, or join her Yahoo Group.

Here's Hunter!

First things first: I’m grateful to Shawna Thomas for giving me the opportunity to be here today. Thanks, Shawna!

I didn’t grow up with a Thanksgiving holiday. I was born in Romania, where Thanksgiving is as foreign as Halloween. But then we moved to North America (the U.S. first, then later, Canada, where I still am today.)

Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving the second Monday of October, so I’ve already had my family gatherings and my fill of turkey and pumpkin pie. But I’m glad to have another opportunity to reflect on the things I’m thankful for this year.

I could come up with a very, very long list of items, but I thought I’d focus on the most important:

1.       My family. I’m blessed with an amazingly supportive husband and parents. They might not always understand why I talk to my characters aloud, or spend 10 hours a day cooped up in my office, often forgetting to eat lunch. But they love me, and they indulge my odd habits. What more could I ask for?

2.       My health. I’ve had a couple of health scares recently that made me spend a lot of time thinking about what’s really important in life. Am I making the most of each day, each hour, each minute? Am I spending as much time with the people I love as I possibly can? I’ve got a follow-up medical test scheduled in December, and I’m hoping for another all-clear. In the meantime, I’m enjoying life to the fullest.

3.       My job. I quit my day job in March of this year, and now I get to write full time for a living. I’m incredibly lucky to be able to live my dream, each and every day. I try not to lose sight of that when I sit down at the computer, and I hope to never take my ability to do what I love for granted.

I’d love to hear from you. What are the most important blessings in your life?