It wasn’t the worst of weeks. It wasn’t the best of weeks. It was somewhere in between – throwing out some tough moments that were balanced with moments that brought a lot of joy.

On Tuesday, I was particularly grateful when a coworker, telling a story of her own stress about moving, kids, etc., made the comment that was something along the lines of…”but these are all just first world problems.” Meaning, she wasn’t trying to figure out how to get clean water to her kids or wondering where they would sleep at night. Moving to a new home, having access to wonderful doctors for a kid battling ear problems, being busy with a great job — stressful yes, but what lucky reasons to be stressed when you take a step back.

Life, in the “first world,” isn’t always easy, but it is a pretty spectacular place to be if you can get out of your own way just long enough to be grateful. Truly and honestly grateful.