I’m a lucky lady. I know what I love to do and I get to do it every day. And I get to do it because I have an incredible system of support around me. And I’m extremely grateful for it. And want to take a moment to recognize it.

I’m a firm believer it’s always important to take time to be grateful for those around you who give you support, and in turn to support the people you care for. But this concept has especially been on my mind in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing.

Terror causes tragedy no matter how it’s spun. But one of the elements of the Boston attack that is most tragic for me is the fact that so many of the people critically injured (and two of the people killed) were there to support the runners. They were people who got out of bed that morning just to cheer people on. As  a person who started consistently running half marathons, I cannot emphasize enough how important the people who come to cheer the runners on are. There have been plenty of times when I feel like crap and wonder what the hell I’m doing running for no apparent reason and just want to stop when a stranger on the sidelines will smile and say “Good job! You got this!” and I’ll think “Yeah, okay, I can do this…just keep going…” through to the finish. It’s so easy and simple to give support. And it can make a world of difference.

I want to take a moment to recognize how lucky I am to have my own awesome support systems.

I have a hunky boyfriend who comes to all my races and waits for two hours at the finish line just to say “Good job” and get attacked by my sweaty, tired mess of a self. He goes through jokes after my stand up sets and helps me analyze why some worked better than others. He helps me create workout plans while I’m eating a pizza and saying I want to be in better shape. And he does a million other things that give me a sense of stability in this constantly changing world.

I also have incredible family and friends. My family is always cheering me on and telling me they’re proud of me. I talk to my parents constantly and they’ve bailed me out of sticky situations when I need it. They’re also doing a million things that give me a sense of stability in this constantly changing world.

I have inspiring, hard-working friends who push me to better myself while giving constant unconditional support. They celebrate my wins and help me to get over losses and also help bail me out of sticky situations (I should probably stop getting into sticky situations). The constant support and inspiration they provide also gives me a sense of stability in this constantly changing world.

I have a great, low-stress, fun job that I’m good at that helps me to pay for the high expenses of LA while giving me total flexibility to pursue my passion. I have an employer who lets me try out jokes on him, has no problem with the myriad of characters I take on any given day, and comes to almost every show and buys tickets for anyone else who wants to come just so I can have a good audience to perform for. These gifts, among other things… yep, you guessed it- give me a sense of stability in a constantly changing world.

I’m not sharing all this to brag about how great my life is. Everyone has their struggles and their rough times. I guess I’m writing as a thank you to those people who support me. And people who support others everywhere. If we take the time to recognize and be grateful for the people around us who give our lives more joy and meaning, then we can better be that person to others. And it can give a little more positive perspective on an otherwise darker situation.

Take a look around you in your own world. I guarantee there are people around you who are proud of you. There are people who want you to help you. There are people who want to celebrate with you. And there are definitely people who will help bail you out of sticky situations (which I don’t suggest you get in, but can attest that you will survive).

So thank you, my lovely support people. Thank you, strangers who give support to people you’ve never met. And thank you, universe, for occasionally giving us a chance to reflect on that gratitude, soak it in, and send it back out for the rest of the world.

How do we remedy a dark situation? Choosing to shine our light into it.

Thanks for indulging me in this post. Back to the poop jokes stat.