Every November, social media is flooded with people listing all the things they’re thankful for. Family. Friends. Small things. Big things. It’s always interesting for me to see what matters to people.

It also makes me think about what matters to me. Giving thanks is not something I do consciously most of the time, but it is something that matters. I have young kids. Kids that I’m trying to teach manners to. I want them to be polite, but I want them to be sincere also. Saying thank you only matters when you mean it.

I have a lot to be thankful for. Most of us do. You don’t have to look far to find a person who has it worse than you do, or better, but being grateful for what we have is important.

I’m thankful for the innocence of my kids. My son, who’s seven, found out recently that I was adopted. When I asked him if he knew what that meant, he said, “Yeah. It means they put you in a box and your parents came by and picked you from all the other kids.” Not quite. But only a kid could come up with such a sweet and innocent explanation of something that is hard for so many of us to think about.

I’m thankful for the love of my parents. It’s been a little over two years since my family moved closer to my parents. Instead of 800 miles away from them, we’re now less than three. Over the last two and a half years, I’ve grown closer to my parents. They’re there for my family in ways they couldn’t be when we lived so far away. They are always supportive of us and I love being close to them.

I’m thankful for my health. I’m quickly approaching the (hopefully) one year anniversary of being in remission. Nothing makes you appreciate your health more than beating stage IV cancer and being able to tell your story.

I’m thankful for my career. Maybe that’s a weird one to be thankful for, but being a writer has given me so much. My previous job was one that was slowly sucking the life out of me. I truly believe it would have killed me if I hadn’t gotten out. Being a writer is the exact opposite. It’s brought new friends to my life, new opportunities, and a new connection with people. I love what I do, and consider myself very fortunate to have this job.

Lastly, I’m thankful for my husband. He’s always there for me. Whether it’s a plot problem I need to talk through, an extra hand around the house (yes, he cooks and sometimes cleans), or just someone to watch a movie or a tv show with, he’s always there for me. He’s been my best friend for fifteen years, and I know he’ll be there for me forever. I’m lucky to have him, and yeah, he’s pretty damn lucky, too. I remind him of that regularly!

What are you thankful for?

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Now available free – Love The Wine You’re With

He could be just what she needs…

Alyssa Wright has one goal before she leaves for college. She refuses to go carrying her v-card. She just has to find someone to give it to in the next six weeks.

When she runs into Jake Monroe, almost literally, she knows he’s different. She thinks about him constantly, and not in the way she’s thought about any other guy.

She might be what he’s looking for…

Between his new job and helping his best friend’s widow, Jake doesn’t have time for romance. But there’s something about Alyssa he can’t resist. He’s torn between the light Alyssa brings to his world and the promise he made to his best friend.

Is it enough to keep them together…forever? 

What they want doesn’t matter. There’s a ticking clock, counting down the days until Alyssa leaves. Maybe for good.

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About Mary

Mary E. Thompson grew up loving to read, like a good little girl. Many nights she would fall asleep with the flashlight on as she hid under the covers, trying to finish the last few pages of a book. As an adult, the light from her eReader means she doesn’t need a flashlight, but she still stays up way too late to finish a book.

When Mary’s not reading, she’s playing with her two kids or living out her own real life romance novel with her hubby. She has a weakness for chocolate, especially when it’s paired with peanut butter, and has been known to have a bad day just because there’s no chocolate in the house. Unless there’s wine. Then everything is okay.

Mary grew up in Buffalo, New York and swears she’s the only local to never ski or snowboard. Soccer was always her sport, with a couple of adventures white water rafting and skydiving to keep things interesting. Mary moved to South Carolina for college but missed Buffalo every day. Yeah, she thinks she’s crazy, too. She somehow convinced her South Carolina born and bred hubby to return to Buffalo to raise their kids and live out their lives. He’s still not sure what he was thinking.

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