It goes without saying that I’m grateful to be tumor-free and alive, but more specifically I’m grateful for the incredibly kind ICU nurses at Gwinnett Medical Center, for my home church and the way they mobilized to help me and my parents, and for what now seems like the best thing in the world — freedom from headaches.

I’m grateful for the rare opportunity to’ve had a month of time with my family, to actually feel like a part of the rhythm and traditions of their house, to have relationships in person instead of relationships that are all voice.

I’m grateful for friends who can lighten up any situation, any time.

I’m grateful for unseasonably cool Georgia weather, and the hot-pavement cool-rain days, for having a few minutes to sit on my porch and be out in the world before everything starts to sizzle again.

I’m grateful for my apartment, and the fun of decorating it in hand-me-downs and thrift. I can’t predict what I’d do if I had money, but I can’t imagine hiring a decorator or even paying for cohesive, new sets of anything.

It’s so much more fun making something from nothing.