So, as you may have noticed, I totally dropped the ball on my month of gratitude. Since it is now officially Thanksgiving, I think I will go ahead and give you all thirty reasons why I am grateful.I’m not sure why I decided on thirty, but whatever.
- I am grateful that I can cook (from a recipe anyway) – my turkey is currently brining, a pumpkin cheesecake is chilling in the fridge, and meals are planned for the rest of the weekend for my brother, sister-in-law, sister, and dad.
- I am grateful that I was taught to work hard through great examples. Now, I didn’t always follow the examples set before me, but as I’ve grown up, I’ve taken on the work ethic that both of my parents instilled in all of us. Sure, this means I am tired a lot, but I definitely don’t ever worry about wasting my life away in front of a t.v.
- I am grateful for books. I love reading. Tonight (it’s actually barely Thanksgiving), I sat on the couch with my nephew for about an hour just reading books to him–I am such a fan of Dr. Seuss! I love that I love books and I love that my nieces and nephews do, too.
- I am grateful for video chat and the fact that my technological stunted sister is slowly learning how to use it. It makes the fact that I haven’t been to Arizona in months not nearly as painful as it would have been otherwise.
- I’m grateful for a grandmother who loves musicals and introduced me to them when I was just an itty-bitty little girl. I have spent the better part of today with Broadway playing through my speakers and singing at the top of my lungs.
- I am thankful that I believe in God and can feel his love constantly…no matter how much I screw up.
- I am thankful for forgiveness and for forgiving people.
- I am thankful I called off my wedding three years ago. I learned so much through that experience and even though I have my moments where I am just really tired of being alone, I am never sad I didn’t go through with it.
- I am grateful for the amazing opportunity I have to be in graduate school. My whole life has changed as a result of this experience. My future looks so different than it did just a couple of years ago.
- I am thankful for parents who were crazy enough to send their 14-year-old daughter across the world to live in Belgium with a family they didn’t know. That was another experience that probably altered the course of my life forever. It was there that I understood that the U.S. does hold a monopoly on the “right” way of doing things. It was there that I learned how to be sensitive to different cultures and backgrounds. It was there that I learned just how much I love my family. It was there that I learned that I actually believed in the religion I’d been taught my whole life.
- I’m grateful for down comforters. Seriously, is there anything better on a cold night?
- I’m grateful for MAC cosmetics. (Yes, I’m kind of vain and superficial.)
- I am thankful that I have learned how to own who I am. It’s not perfect–or even close to it–but I can at least look at myself and say, “Yeah, this is who I am. There are things about myself that I really like and think are fantastic and then there are things I can’t stand, but this is me.”
- I am grateful for fabulous friends who listen to me whine (and sometimes cry) about the dumbest things for hours on end and never make me feel bad about it.
- I am thankful that I already have a job lined up for when I graduate next year. The stress that that has taken out of my life cannot be measured and I feel extremely blessed to be in such a fortuitous position. I just hope that I can show just how grateful I am through the help I have given and will continue to give through others.
- I am grateful that my mom taught me that “it always works out.” This has helped me remain hopeful and happy throughout my life, even when stuff is pretty dang sucky.
- I am grateful for a body that is extremely healthy. I am rarely sick, and even when I am, it is never anything to complain about (a cold, a 24-hour flu, etc.)
- I am thankful for wonderful siblings! I adore my family and my siblings are what makes not having a mom bearable. I don’t know what I would do without them or their spouses. My life would be awful.
- I’m so thankful for my dad. Sure, we have our moments, but living with him the last few years has been such a good experience for me…that’s not to say the move to New York next summer will not be welcomed, but I’m so glad that I had the opportunity to spend so much time with him over the last few years.
- I am grateful that I get to move to New York next year. I had a fantastic summer there, but I am super excited to call it “home” and to have all of my stuff back out of storage…well, at least everything that will fit in whatever apartment I can afford.
- I am grateful for my green eyes. I kind of love them.
- I am grateful for friends who teach me through example.
- I am thankful for my memories. I have so many fabulous ones and so many that aren’t so fabulous, but that remind of mistakes I don’t want to repeat.
- I am thankful for pictures. I love them. Especially since they can help the memories remain so much more vivid
- I am grateful for the wonderful jobs I’ve had over the years. I have been extremely blessed to have never been unable to find work. This might also be because I am willing to do anything…including cleaning houses of college boys, but I feel blessed just the same.
- I am grateful that I was able to learn French. I love having more ways and words at my disposal for expressing what I’m thinking and feeling.
- I am grateful for hair and nails that grow fast.
- I am grateful for planes, trains, and automobiles.
- I am grateful for clean, running water and water heaters that allow me to be comfortably clean and healthy.
- I am grateful that I get to celebrate a holiday that is devoted to gratitude and that it revolves around eating, which therefore means cooking (in my world). I love Thanksgiving and I love that it’s always on a Thursday!
- I lied…one more. I am grateful that this year is not one of those years in my life where I have to really think hard to find things for which I am grateful. I have had those years. They have been pretty dang crappy. If you are having one of those years, I am so sorry. But know that they won’t always be this bad.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
existential dilemmas 
I loved reading these. Oh, and I blog stalk you on a regular basis. When will I see you again??Also, I have an official new blog, so you may want to update your blog roll:helloblog.tumblr.comlove you! mm
these are great. thanks for posting them! i'm grateful to know you! you're one of the most amazing people i've met- and i've met a lot of people. 🙂
I am thankful for YOU. Seriously. You are AWESOME and you make me laugh. Thanks for being you and for being one RAD cousin. love u. 😀