I chose not to blog about what I am thankful for on Thanksgiving Day on purpose. I want to be clear that I am thankful on all the days prior, and all the days after, as well. (Also... I was in a vehicle traveling with MiMi on my lap from Branson back to El Dorado for a good part of the day.) I am more thankful now than I was on Thursday, and not as thankful as I will be tomorrow. I grow more appreciative of everything in my life with each passing day, and I can only hope any person reading this feels the same way. This is my Thanksgiving...**********************************
I am thankful for my mama. Jill Cherryholmes taught me that LOVE comes first, that LOVE always wins and that there is no room for hate in this world. Because of my mama, I choose to face the world with love. I am thankful I am 35 and my mother is alive and well and in my life. I am thankful that my mother battles MS on a daily basis... and wins. My mother might have MS, but MS does not have my mother. For that I am thankful. I am thankful I am in a relationship with someone who not only understands me, but accepts me at my worst. (I'm a hot mess to handle, let me tell you now.) Josh has been with me for more than 6 years and for that I am thankful. I was not looking for a relationship when we met, and I didn't want one. Sometimes the universe has different plans for us than we have for ourselves. I am thankful for our two babies, MiMi and Murphy. A loud-mouthed chihuahua misfit and a sassy Siamese kitty, they melt my heart and bring my love for animals to new levels. I am thankful that I am nearly 5 years meat-free. I had a goal LONG ago to become a vegetarian, and although I was later to the party than I would have liked, at least I arrived. I am thankful that my boyfriend understands that my soul mate is a girl. I believe that I was in the right place at the right time at the age of 20, and I met an 18 year old girl from Dallas while auditioning for a college showchoir who would become one of the most important people in my life. I am thankful that 15 years later she still gets me. I am thankful for missed opportunities: The American Musical & Dramatic Academy in NYC and CLUB MED in Florida. How different my life would be had I said yes to either? I am thankful that my Gram, who helped raise me, was with me on this earth until I was 27. I know that's a lot longer than a lot of people get with their grandparents, and I feel like at the age of 93 my Gram left me because she knew I needed to move on. I am thankful that I left my life in Kansas on a whim and moved to Los Angeles to join AmeriCorps. Although I will always feel guilty for thinking I took more from that program than I gave, I know that my inner self was forever changed from that experience. I am thankful for my sister Norma, who doubles as a best friend. I am thankful that she shares her children with me & Josh in a way that makes me feel like more than just a proud uncle. I am thankful for my brother Eric and his kids, who will always be in my blood. I am thankful for my nephew who is a freshman in high school and makes me wish I had half his wisdom when I was his age. I am thankful for my brother, Jeffery, who has Down Syndrome. I am thankful he taught me that the misuse of the word 'retarded' in random conversation is inappropriate. I am thankful I have multiple chins. (Honestly- I wish I didn't have them, but they are a sign that I am not hurting for food, and that is a simple thanks that's often overlooked.) I am thankful that when I met Josh, I also met his family. I am thankful for his mom and dad who have done more for me than I could have ever asked. I am thankful for his sisters and their husbands, and also for their children. I am thankful for our house. I am thankful that I am 35 and STILL in college. I know other people might make fun of me, but I am thankful I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am thankful that I am that much closer to graduating with a degree in Elementary Education. I am thankful that I can look at others who make fun of other people and know that it's wrong. I am thankful I can recognize that at times, I am one of those people. I am thankful I have room to better myself (I hope). I am thankful that I have a handful of best friends that I know I don't deserve, yet I know how lucky I am to have them. I am thankful that they inspire me daily to not only be a better person, but to be a better person to this world. I am thankful for my musical and literary heroes, from Debbie Gibson and LeAnn Rimes to Tori Spelling and Pippi Longsticking. I embrace the loves of my life with all my heart, and my music and TV shows embody that. (Beverly Hills, 90210- I'm talking to you.) I am thankful for my love of Hollywood. I am thankful that I can routinely check out of El Dorado, Kansas for any moment of given time, yet return to my reality at the click of a mouse. I am thankful that I am only self-proclaimed famous in a small town. I am thankful for my childhood that I was allowed to live because of my mom, and I am thankful that I am given the chance to relive that childhood because of eBay. I am thankful that my world has not been shattered due to some unforeseen force that always looms in the future, and I am thankful that if it does, I have the love of friends and family to help pull me through. I am thankful I am alive at 35. I am thankful I have the privilege of sitting down to type up my thanks on a lap top and publish them to a blog... LIFE ISN'T ABOUT GETTING WHAT YOU WANT, IT'S ABOUT WANTING WHAT YOU HAVE. I am thankful that I have been given another day to be thankful for.
