In two days we will all celebrate Thanksgiving. I will also be celebrating my 40th birthday. On the outside, I'm cool and calm. I say things like I'm going to be forty and fabulous, and I will. However, on the inside, I'm beating myself up over the time I wasted in my 20's and some of my 30s doing nonproductive things like clubbing and dating knuckleheads who weren't worthy of me, my time, or my fabulous existence.
So, I'm freaking out a little, but deep inside, I am truly grateful for the blessings in my life. My father may no longer be with me and I lost the love of my life, but I am left with a wonderful mother, great siblings, awesome friends, and amazing nieces and nephews who help keep me sane. They all bring joy to my life, and have been there for me through thick and thin. They are a constant reminder of how blessed I am.
So in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am sharing with you my gratitude list for 2011. Here are the things I am most thankful for:
- Family
- Friends
- A stable job and freelance clients
- Food to eat
- Warm shelter
- Cable television (without my favorite TV show Psych, life just wouldn’t be the same)
- Sight, hearing and a sane mind (some days the sane mind is arguable)
and last but never least, - a merciful God who continues to provide for me through the good, the bad and even the ugly (those non-angelic days I sometimes have.)
So on Thursday when you're enjoying your turkey and stuffing, and all the other stuff we stuff in our faces on Thanksgiving, don't just think about the one or two things you have to be thankful for, think of five or more things you’ve been blessed with, because there are others out there who would steal and sometimes kill (read the news) to have what we so often take for granted in this country.
And try to be thankful every day, not just on Thanksgiving. Because God brings blessings year round – not just during the holidays.
Peace and blessings and a very happy Thanksgiving holiday to you.
