![\"How](\"https:\/\/itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/405244867_3424119754476351_1379602419288312719_n-e1764096562124.jpg\")
<\/a>How adorbs!<\/p><\/div>\n
But now I have something fun in a very different<\/em> way to be grateful for this year. It\u2019s actually a two-parter of gratitude. First is that I\u2019ve been alive for a little over a decade since my mini-stroke! On top of that<\/em> bit of luck, (or divine intervention,) my \u201cstrokiversary\u201d calls have been going great! As those of you who have read my recent-ish column* about it being ten years since I had my stroke know, the way I\u2019m celebrating my bonus decade of life is to call someone I rarely speak to, (which includes everyone outside of the five or ten people I see all the time,) one a day for this entire year. (But I am<\/em> taking tomorrow<\/em> off from the project, as well as Christmas, New Year\u2019s Eve, New Year\u2019s Day, my birthday, Mr. X\u2019s birthday, and Yom Kippur, in that order!) *(If you missed the article, and are curious, here\u2019s the link: itsnotaboutme.tv\/news\/karens-thanks-its-my-ten-year-strokiversary<\/a>.)<\/p>\n So far, in these six weeks, everyone has seemed very happy to hear from me. And speaking with them has elevated my soul! I\u2019ve loved it when a few people even said they picked up my \u201cblocked call\u201d because they were hoping that they were that day\u2019s strokiversary call!!! That really warmed my heart. (And<\/em> gave a bit of a boost to my affected brain!)<\/p>\n To You and Yours!<\/p><\/div>\n I\u2019m so thankful to have thought of celebrating my good fortune, (of being alive for so long after the medical incident,) by reaching-out to others, which brought them all into my year-long celebration.<\/p>\n I try to always<\/em> count my blessings. And in speaking with so many people recently, I realized something else to be thankful for\u2014I\u2019ve never hated any level of my life. That is so lucky! So many people at least hated their high school<\/em> experience, but I<\/em> had such a good time back then that I\u2019d be happy to still<\/em> be there! And I had a good time at all four of my colleges, as well. So that\u2019s just more to be grateful for, at all times, but especially tomorrow, when we officially give thanks.<\/p>\n And I have one more thing to be grateful for right now, which has nothing to do with me<\/em>! It\u2019s that\u2026Robert Irwin and Witney Carson very deservedly won this season of Dancing With The Stars<\/em> last night! I love when the right duo wins! And in this case, besides that Robert has become an incredible dancer, with zero previous training, he\u2019s one of the nicest, kindest, most appreciative people I\u2019ve ever seen! He really is the male version of his sister, Bindi, who won this same show a decade\u00a0ago. What darling people they are! That victory really started-off my weekend of special gratitude in the right way.<\/p>\n<\/a>