On Thanksgiving this Warrior Woman is deeply thankful...

It may be cliche but on Thanksgiving our little Warrior family really did go around the table to say what made us grateful. We would raise our glass and say what made us give thanks for every person seated around our table. 

Today I raise my glass to each of YOU!

This Thanksgiving I am grateful for the memories we all have of Warrior. I have so many reveries that stir gratitude in my heart but one feels like a poem. I remember the girls were very tiny and outside in the courtyard with their dad. I was at our cobalt blue kitchen sink up to my elbows in suds. I heard the trill of little girl giggles through the window and peeked to see what had caused their delight. Warrior was sitting on a miniature picnic bench balancing Mattie on his knee, holding a pink plastic bubble bottle in one mitt, and a green wand in the other. I watched my big, tough, gravelly husband blow bubbles to Indy with a steady stream of soft breath. Mattie was bouncing and clapping with pure joy as Indy chased these rainbow orbs...her laughter like confetti to my ears. I bet the girls don't remember that moment, but I do, and for its simple beauty I have a heart full of thanks.

I am grateful I was Warrior's wife and have the privilege of being the mother of our children. I am thankful beyond words that God entrusted Indiana and Mattigan to my care and permits me to guide their path and marvel at greater distance as I watch them become more and more of themselves. I am thankful for the love that swells in my heart for my daughters.

I am grateful for my friends. Oh My goodness...my friends are epic. I have such a range of powerfully diverse women who I support and who support me. These are women who would fight as hard as I would in a foxhole and leave no (wo)man behind...(with the exception of Anna who left me with deliverance but I'll forgive her...ONCE!!). My friends are a mixture of pink champagne, tequila, and bourbon neat. They are my rocks and soft places to fall. They are kick ass, funny, witty, smart, beautiful and kind. My friends aptly personify the line from Brad Paisley's song Perfect Storm, "She's sunshine mixed with a little hurricane."....it's my favorite lyric they'd probably say suits me too. I laugh with these women and sometimes cry too. I see some of them all the time and others next to never. None of that matters amongst our tribe of true Warrior Women, when it matters we are there to SLAY!!

I am grateful for Steve Wilton AKA Uncle Stove. He is my "momager" and biggest believer. When I doubt myself he actually laughs. "What haven't you knocked out of the park?"...he says when I start to lose nerve. "Thanks Mom", is always my reply, with a laugh. I say it in jest but what I mean is, "I love you for believing in me, Steve. It is unconditional, pure and proud. I don't know that I'm worthy but I am filled with gratitude.".

As a writer, I am so grateful to YOU, my reader. Without you my words would never breathe. The depth of the gratitude I feel for you taking your most precious commodity, your time, to read what I say is a gift I cannot aptly describe. Thank you for our conversations...they have kept me improving the person I am. They have rescued me from suffocating loneliness. They allowed me to return to spring. You Warrior readers helped me become who I have become and keep becoming...You are my true friends.

I am grateful for WWE...not because it belongs to me but because I belong to it. I love it. I love the visionary who transformed entertainment and created the ULTIMATE family business. I love the people who work behind the scenes and the talent who are its face. I love the universe that supports the industry with an almost religious fervor and loyalty. I love that I politely offered to thump some lady's ass because she was making fun of wrestling in a sports bar when Alisha and I asked that Monday Night football be changed to Monday Night Raw. I love that when I looked at her and told her to back it up she told me I had an attitude problem but scampered away. 😂I am grateful I felt so much pride in the people who have adopted me my loyalty would not be contained. I'm thankful family comes in many, unexpected forms.

Today, Warriors, I am thankful for all of YOU. You are the reason my husband's legacy will run FOREVER! I hope that you will consider the things for which you can truly give thanks. Even though this is an American holiday I hope Warriors around the world will measure something beautiful in their lives.

I believe in the simplicity of telling those around the table why they matter. I believe in memories that belong to you forever. I believe in turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. I believe in raising a glass with a heart full of gratitude and giving thanks...ALWAYS!! xo🦃💛🌻, Dana