A Reminder To Be Thankful

It’s a holiday filled with mouth-watering turkey and decadent pies, but as we overstuff ourselves with a Thanksgiving meal, it’s also a time to count our blessings and a reminder to be thankful. This week, I’ll be gathering around the table with my parents and extended family as we host Thanksgiving in Central Illinois. This is a holiday when people think about what they are thankful for, but truth be told, I’ve been doing that daily for a long time.

I’ve always been a grateful person, but it wasn’t until my triplets were born in 2013 when I began to look at life differently. The moment your child dies, you realize that your life will never be the same. After Parker and Abby passed away, I found new purpose. The trivial things suddenly didn’t seem so important. Instead, I set my sights on living life to the fullest and having no regrets.
The past few months have been a whirlwind. Between, major fundraising events, working full time, raising a child and running a charity, I have found little time to breathe. But, it’s all been worthwhile. As I sit here late at night, my computer on my lap and my dog nudged beside me, I have finally found time to relax. It’s these quiet moments that I love the most, giving me time to count my blessings.
I can’t help but choke up when I think about my family. We have been through hell and back, but we’ve become stronger because of it. While many marriages suffer setbacks after experiencing the loss of a child, my husband and I have a bond that has only become stronger the older we get. This year has been filled with new beginnings: our surviving triplet, Peyton, began preschool and we launched our non-profit charity. Peyton continues to amaze us. It’s hard to believe that she was only a pound and wasn’t expected to survive after birth. Today, she’s full of life and full of happiness. She’s achieving things we never thought would be possible and she’s doing it with that same fight she had in the NICU 3+ years ago. As for our charity, I pat myself on the back daily, still surprised at this pet-project we brought to fruition. We had a goal, but we also knew it would be a long road to make it a reality. Ryan and I could not have created Triple Heart Foundation without tremendous help from our dear friends and family. Their acts of kindness will never be forgotten.

Every night, I drive home from work, thinking about my day and one thought continuously pops into my head–life is good. I have the support of not just my local community, but a community of friends, family and thousands of people around the world.  And each year that support grows even more. I’ve taken on new projects and found that there is a need to be that voice for child loss, premature birth and infertility. I have found that I can use my job as a television news anchor to help empower other women and I have found a new passion to help others through our charity. Without supporters like you, none of this would be possible. I have so much to be thankful for that it’s far more than just one day of giving thanks. I count my blessings every day of the year, with a few extra smiles and a full heart this Thanksgiving holiday.

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