Thanksgiving is a time when we give thanks, and every year what I’m most thankful for is my children.

I’m thankful for their smiles and the sounds of their laughter when they’re doing something they love.

I’m thankful that no matter how many times I’ve messed up, they forgive me and choose to love me anyway.

I’m thankful for the permission they give me just to be me.

I’m thankful we can pull each other through our fears. We can handhold each other through this often-scary life.

I’m thankful for my imperfect body: the squishy stomach that they use as a pillow that used to be their home.

I'm thankful for how they've pushed me to be better, stronger, kinder, and more patient. They've made me into the person I’ve always wanted to be.

I'm thankful they've helped my voice become stronger because you don't want to get in the way of a mama bear. Because when it comes to my kids, my voice will never falter.

I’m thankful for the unconditional and endless love I have for them — because I never thought I could love so much. It's a love that makes everything hard so worth it.

I’m thankful for the strength they give me to keep fighting. On my darkest days, I’ve pushed myself out of bed for them and for the countless I love yous that pulled me out of many bad days.

I’m thankful for every moment I spend with them,

because they’re my everything,

every single day.

This post originally appeared on the author's Facebook. Her book "Living FULL: Winning My Battle with Eating Disorder" is available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2O4mJId. And my Children’s Book 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘖𝘬𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘖𝘬𝘢𝘺: 𝘈𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘴 𝘎𝘦𝘵 𝘉𝘪𝘨 𝘍𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘛𝘰𝘰 is 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞!: https://amzn.to/317TvVc