# This year, I'm grateful for ... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 27, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-grateful-for/705781 "2014-11-27T19:25:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-grateful-for/705781/1 "2014-11-27T19:25:01Z")
… working steadily – not a given in the life of a freelancer – and at interesting jobs. … making many new friends, and keeping up with old ones on FB and IRL. … enjoying continued good health; and the fact that I now have medical insurance, thanks to President Obama. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-grateful-for/705781/2 "2014-11-27T19:43:35Z")
That my kids are all employed and reasonably healthy. Everything else is gravy. ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-grateful-for/705781/3 "2014-11-27T19:47:56Z")
Being alive. I had a health scare over the summer that shook me up pretty badly (all is well now :)). ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-grateful-for/705781/4 "2014-11-27T19:50:19Z")
Being employed, and that yoga & karate still seem to be working for me as exercise I can do. Everything else is pretty much up in the air. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-grateful-for/705781/5 "2014-11-27T20:09:30Z")
I am in good health. My home is paid for. I’m self-employed and staying busy. Obamacare tripled my health insurance premiums; I am not happy about that. From 2002 to 2010, my premiums went from a little over $100 a month to about $150 per month. Now I am paying over $400 monthly and since I have no chronic conditions, this really hurts. I realise that I’m supposedly getting more coverage, but that doesn’t apply to me because I am healthy and also not eligible for rebates. I’m a two-time Obama voter but I am not very thrilled with the outcome for me personally. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-grateful-for/705781/6 "2014-11-27T21:18:43Z")
That I live in an amazing city. That, although I’m not rich, I’m not (yet) running out of money. That I have friends. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-grateful-for/705781/7 "2014-11-27T21:55:25Z")
That my wife and I still have the three things - health, wealth, and time - that have enabled us to continue engaging in amazing travel experiences. That my elderly parents are still in reasonably good health. That I finished another season of motorcycling crash-free. ---
**Author:** ![DingoelGringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DingoelGringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DingoelGringo)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-grateful-for/705781/8 "2014-11-27T22:07:22Z")
Being healthy and living the retired life on a tropical island. I am one of those who always said that by the time I get there there won’t be any more social security, but now I appreciate that I was forced to pay into it for those 46 years. Couldn’t be more content and Thankful than being here in the Dominican Republic at 68 years old 10 years after triple bypass surgery living with a beautiful 44 years old gal, her daughter and grandson of 15 months. ---
**Author:** ![DingoelGringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DingoelGringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DingoelGringo)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-grateful-for/705781/9 "2014-11-27T22:08:53Z")
> [@chiroptera](#): > > I am in good health. > > My home is paid for. > > I’m self-employed and staying busy. > > Obamacare tripled my health insurance premiums; I am not happy about that. From 2002 to 2010, my premiums went from a little over $100 a month to about $150 per month. Now I am paying over $400 monthly and since I have no chronic conditions, this really hurts. I realise that I’m supposedly getting more coverage, but that doesn’t apply to me because I am healthy and also not eligible for rebates. I’m a two-time Obama voter but I am not very thrilled with the outcome for me personally. WHy not leave the whining for a whining thread? ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-grateful-for/705781/10 "2014-11-27T22:58:49Z")
> [@DingoelGringo](#): > > WHy not leave the whining for a whining thread? OK fine. Sorry for the threadshit. 75% of my response was non-whining, though. If TPTB get enough complaints to remove the whiney bits, that’s cool. Note that there are no board rules I am aware of that mandate happy positive posts must be responded to in kind and likewise negative or whiney posts. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-grateful-for/705781/11 "2014-11-27T23:20:09Z")
I totaled my car on Tuesday. I’m losing my apartment on Sunday. And yesterday, my dad died. Fuck Thanksgiving. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-grateful-for/705781/12 "2014-11-27T23:29:10Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I totaled my car on Tuesday. I’m losing my apartment on Sunday. And yesterday, my dad died. > > Fuck Thanksgiving. Ugh. I am sorry. The day my dad died was one of the worst in my life. But time really does heal. ((HUG)) ---
**Author:** ![Whatever4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@Whatever4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whatever4)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-grateful-for/705781/13 "2014-11-28T00:24:49Z")
I haven’t been a psych in-patient in nearly 3 years. I have a wonderful psychiatrist. I have a dog that reminds me it’s ok to love. Nobody on SDMB has complained that I need to smarten up a bit before posting. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-grateful-for/705781/14 "2014-11-28T00:31:17Z")
My daughters. Oh man, especially the 25 year old. They both keep me going, but my oldest is fighting the same battles as I am and still manages to get up and go to work every day without fail. And my little one is so helpful and kind. And I have a great roommate. He’s become one of my best friends over the past year and a half and it’s awesome to finally have a friend I can trust. But today I am most grateful for whoever invented dishwashers. I owe them a pie or two for making my life so much easier. How I went over forty years without I will never know! ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-grateful-for/705781/15 "2014-11-28T01:21:49Z")
> [@Helena330](#): > > Being alive. I had a health scare over the summer that shook me up pretty badly (all is well now :)). Yes, this! I’ll still have issues I will have to deal with for the rest of my life, but for now it’s all good and considering what _could_ have happened, I feel like I won the lottery this year. Also, my wonderful dog is getting older and I recently had him in to the vet for what turned out to be a minor problem. The vet says he looks fantastic, and since he’s a cancer survivor, that’s extra great news. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-grateful-for/705781/16 "2014-11-28T01:57:58Z")
I feel grateful for so much. My daughter is healthy, happy and loved. She has brought so much joy into our house this year. My husband is healthy, he’s good to me, and I love him. My job is gold. It’s a good organization, it’s good work, there is lots of opportunity and it challenges me in the right ways. It’s been a very charmed year, and I am grateful for the joy, happiness and comfort I’ve had. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-grateful-for/705781/17 "2014-11-28T02:37:00Z")
Getting fired. I didn’t realize how much I hated my job until I lost it. It was like this giant weight off my shoulders. I wouldn’t quit but since I was shown the door -------- I started a new job to break back into the workplace and haven’t felt this happy or well in 5 years or more. I like me better, the Old Wench likes me better and my Doctor likes me better. I call that a home run. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-grateful-for/705781/18 "2014-11-28T04:15:38Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I totaled my car on Tuesday. I’m losing my apartment on Sunday. And yesterday, my dad died. > > Fuck Thanksgiving. I’m so sorry, **Miller**. ☹ As for me, after losing our home due to my husband’s illness, we’re doing okay. Near family to help me cope, found a nurturing church home, lots of rewarding volunteer work and are also making new friends. I even started a much-loved hobby, so we are very blessed. Now just as soon as we have him a new liver, life will be perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-grateful-for/705781/19 "2014-11-28T04:19:13Z")
Grateful I finally managed to give up trying to do stuff that always made me feel bad about myself and the world, and decided to focus on things that made me feel the opposite. What a difference! Grateful my noble dog hasn’t bitten anybody this year (I guess there’s still time). Grateful to finally find some self-acceptance about my limited physical energy. Grateful for my fairly amazing family. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-grateful-for/705781/20 "2014-11-28T05:12:57Z")
Holy shit, Miller. ☹ I’m so terribly sorry. I suppose if I have to be pinned down, I’ll add: I’m grateful to feel like I’m crawling back out of a dark shell after the unrelenting hell of the last couple years. The world has color again, things fucking matter again, I care if I’m alive or dead and feel like it might be worth the effort to stick around after all. Gratitude honorable mention goes to me not fucking up my employment during that time and apparently impressing a few people here and there along the way. How either of those happened I’ll never know. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-year-im-grateful-for/705781.md?page=2)