Twenty years ago, I nearly died. In the middle of an overdose, I felt my body tremble and braced for the slip.
Part of me was already gone – lost in a sea of darkness, waking only to hide from light.
Self-medicating was my answer.
It only made the questions more difficult.
Today, I am new.
I bask in light, no longer hiding.
This, and for so many other reasons, is why I am thankful.
So tell me: What are you thankful for?
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Published by Christine Macdonald
About Christine Macdonald
Christine Macdonald is a Los Angeles based author from the island of O’ahu.
Through her writing she uses her voice, a unique blend of cutting truth and self-deprecating humor to inspire others to release their shame and tell their story.
She is public about her struggles with clinical depression and PTSD from childhood abuse.
Her forthcoming book of essays about surviving addiction and a career in the sex industry will be published in 2020.
For more on Christine’s remarkable story visit her website www.poletosoul.com.
View all posts by Christine Macdonald
Christine Macdonald 
You are an inspiration! I'm grateful for my family. The best thing I ever did was have four daughters, cuz they are my world, my reason for breathing, my calm center.
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I am grateful for my sobriety and the life I have today because of it. To this day, I can vividly recall exactly what I felt when I was in the throes of my addiction: Despair, hopelessness, a loneliness that bars description, a longing for something, anything that would make it all go away, yet it never did. Until I surrendered and found a brand new way to live….Thank you for the post and a reminder to always be grateful.
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I am thankful to have a roof over my head and food on the table. I am thankful that every morning I wake up with my husband next to me. I am thank full that the other three rooms in the house have my sleeping kids in them and I can check on them when ever I need to.
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I am thankful for the chance to be happy, for the good friends I have, for the family who cares….I am thankful for everyone who has taken time to listen to me….thank you for the post…your posts bring out the best in people…
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Wow, so glad you were able to to grab onto life and not slip away before your time.I'm extremely grateful for friends and family for without their love and support I wouldn't be where I am today. :0)
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I am grateful for the injuries (serious or otherwise) I have had, and the near burnout I experienced earlier this year, for reminding me how short, and how precious, life is. And for teaching me patience and peace.I am also thankful for the amazing people around me who love me even when I feel incapable of loving myself.And right now I'm grateful for the reminder Christine! Thanks for the lovely post. Will focus on grateful energy during my yoga practice today X
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I am thankful for the lovely comments! Keep them coming – it's wonderful to see so much gratitude… 🙂
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I'm so glad you are still with us! =) You are an inspiration to many by sharing your story of hardship and how you conquered your circumstances.
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Im thankful for second, third and even fourth chances.
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20 years ago, I almost died from Non Hodgkins Lymphoma. I am so grateful for the two children they said I would never have. And I am ever more grateful that my son, who suffers from a rare chromosome abnormality, is still with me, still smiling. My children are my world 🙂
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I am grateful for my wonderful friends who are my support group. These people are my true family. They offer me a shoulder to cry on when I am down and laugh with me when I am happy. I would be nothing without them in my life.
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I am thankful for my friends, my family, and my sanity. It's so easy to take such things for granted, but it's so wonderful to pause and give thanks.
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And look how far you've come. And what you've overcome. You're a big star in New York.I'm thankful for surviving what should have killed me. Enough said about that. And for the borrowed time to live another day, another month, another year. Another decade.
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Happy Thanksgiving!I'm thankful for blogs like yours.
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I am thankful for all those little things we take for granted most of the time; a warm home, nice song on the radio, a peaceful Friday night, weekend ahead — and I'm glad I came across your post tonight as you mentioned sobriety…I've been sober for close to two years, and recently have found myself thinking that maybe I didn't have such a bad problem in the first place….but I was just reminded that oh yes I did, and that I should be thankful for this sobriety too – and not throw it away. So thanks 🙂
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what a cool and inspiring blog to stumble on – very moving.
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Always a great perspective… I love reading your stuff!
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Thought-provoking. I am happy that not every day is too easy and everything changes – whether it is good or bad.
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Christine Macdonald: GratitudeI'm all for what is simply there, and the fact this is already a miracle, and everything else is the human desire ..
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