I like this idea, Jill.  I, too, am lucky to be alive.

When I was nine years old I developed a mastoid infection.  For those who
don't know, the mastoid is a cavity in the bone behind the ear.  At the
time, the only treatment for that was surgery to release the pus from inside
the cavity.  By the time my doctor realized that my ear infection was
actually mastoiditis, my life was definitely in danger.  The specialist my
parents took me to at that time said that if nothing were done, the bone on
the inside of the cavity, which is rather thin, would probably burst,
sending the infection into my brain.  OTOH, the swelling was so bad that the
saw cutting into the bone for the surgery would probably have the same
result.

However, penicillin had just been released for civilian use.  This was in
1945, and it had been reserved for the military up to then.  He said they'd
give it to me in the hope that it would reduce the infection enough so he
could operate.  Instead, it cured the infection completely.

A few months ago I decided to give a speech to my Toastmasters club about
the experience.  As part of my research, I looked up mastoiditis in the
Merck Manual, which doctors use extensively for diagnosis and treatment
information.  Today the preferred treatment for mastoiditis is ...
penicillin!

Joy

You got that right!!!  I agree with you 1000% on this.  We seem to
forget all the good things the Guy up stairs has bestowed on us and
forget about him.  But as soon as we need help we are right there
asking.

I was told once that the way to keep a blessing or get more blessing
is to tell people abot the blessing that we have gotten!!

Y'know - I started thinking about this, and you're right.  After all the
*stupid* things I did in my youth (I used to drive 80mph on the highway,
just to see if I could!  I'm sure it was probably faster than that, but the
speedometer on the car I had at the time only went to 80mph.... and I
stopped doing that when the tranny burned up & cost me $400 to fix lol)...
all those things that *could* have ended my life, but didn't for some
strange reason....

Yes it was. Apology accepted.

I am very grateful to be alive also, for reasons I've already posted
about. I call this stage of life "the bonus round."
Grateful mostly to be exactly  in the place (both physically and
metaphorically) that I want to be at this stage of my life.

Sherry

I think we all are. Tom and I have been very fortunate to have found one
another and to have been entrusted with raising the most wonderful group
of cats there is! :)

I'm lucky I married a man who is allmost as daft about cats as I am.

I'm gratefull for all the happy memories my foster cats have given me.

I'm thankfull for my two grandaughters.

I'm happy my unexpected work is finished and I'll get paid straight
away. This looks to be the start off a good work relationship with
more work next week.

I don't regret anything, life's to short for regrets.

If we're talking blessings...There's Rob.  I was 26 when we met.  I was
coming off a bad relationship (I'd just discovered that he was married)
and had totally sworn off men.  Then I met Rob, and discovered Role
Playing Games at the same time.  We've been together through some pretty
rough times and a lot of really wonderful ones.  No matter how much
longer we have together, Rob has been the biggest blessing I could
receive.

Then there's the kids.  I gripe about them a lot, but they are wonderful
in their own way.  I suspect that I gripe about them as a way of not
pushing my luck.  They have their faults, but when I need them, they
always come through.

There's modern medicine that has made it possible to have my husband for
a little while longer.  Twenty years ago, they'd have tried, but he
would probably have been gone by now.  I can't thank the medical system
in North Carolina enough for the care they've given Rob.  I'm also
living longer because of the advances in diabetic care.  I'm grateful
for that as well.

Then there is the computer age.  Without it and affordable personal
computers, I wouldn't be writing this today.  I'm grateful that my world
has gotten smaller and increased at the same time.  Who'd have thought
in the 60's and 70's that I'd have friends all over the world?  Bless
you all.

Last but not least there are the owners.  We have our issues with them
on occasion (Huey tried to take out my computer the other day) but I'd
be lost without my little buddies who keep me company while I surf the
net, read, watch tv, cross stitch, cook, and all the other things I do
during the day.  My biggest complaint about working is that I can't take
one of my cats into the class room.

Pam S. grateful for a lot that she can't even express adequately

Let's see:

I'm more grateful than I can express for finding Nancy and being to share
my life with her;

I'm very grateful that my son Sean has grown into such an exceptional
young man;

I'm thankful that my brother and my mom are still hanging in there in
spite of their health challenges;

I'm grateful that Nancy and I have always been able to find a way to
scratch by financially, even in our darkest moments;

I'm grateful for this job as a system administrator, even though I do have
days when I question my sanity for staying here;

And of course, and I so very thankful that I'm fortunate enough to be able
to share my life with such a wonderful house full of kitties!

Dan

I have a hard time finding something I'm grateful for these days. I
read your post and thought "bah humbug" like the Christmas Story. I
honestly feel that life is a chore. There must be something more.
How can my life lead to the loss of my only child, with no
grandkids like my own parents are having fun with, and they are
ready for great grand children now. I even have problems with
simple things like beneficiaries in the stupid life insurance
policies and retirement funds if I am lucky enough to die before I
need them.