After a most excellent birthday weekend, I feel the need to sit back and acknowledge how blessed I a. Thanksgiving is a great idea for a holiday, but what if everyone took their own personal thanksgiving instead? In my eyes an organized day of Thanksgiving is really no different than celebrating love on Valentine’s Day. It’s great that you’re showing how much you love someone, or are thankful for them, or whatever… but on that day it looks like you’re only doing it because it’s what is expected.

On the other hand, after my birthday weekend I’m sitting here feeling overwhelmed by how blessed I am. By choosing to take a day of personal thanksgiving today and show gratitude to all those dear to me and for all that’s around me, it’s much more heart-felt. Last night as I crawled into bed, I literally just had to lie back and think about how incredible my life is for a while.
I have a place of my own, without roommates or parents watching over me. A dog. Enough room to hold my possessions and still have room to spare so I do not feel cramped. Transportation. Food to eat.

I have friends back in Virginia whom I have known for years, as well as a wonderful group from the past year or so out here in California, and plenty of others scattered across the globe…and with all of them I can share hopes and dreams, and enjoy a mutual support network. I have a wonderful family that loves me.

And this weekend as I turned 23, I was given physical gifts (dvds, for example), but I also got to enjoy the gifts of experience and time spent together as my friends and I spent two full evenings in a row together. 

I truly am blessed. My challenge to anyone reading this, is to take some time and sit down and realize how much you have to be thankful for.



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