What I’m Thankful For
I had plans to do some things around the house this evening, after enjoying dinner with my family, but I’m having trouble finding what I need. I’m missing an entire box of supplies. I can’t go to the store, because it’s closed. And besides, I’m not spending the money because I know it’s around here somewhere (I do NOT live in a mansion). I feel like I’m losing my mind. So instead of getting frustrated, I took it as a sign to take a minute, relax, and think about all the reasons I have to be thankful. So with that, here’s my list. And just so you know, it’s far from all-inclusive. I’m so thankful for:
- My family and friends, too many to name here. And I know I don’t tell them often enough. They accept me for who I am, flaws and all, and are always there when I need them.
- My son. That kid cracks me up so badly sometimes that my stomach aches and I have tears rolling down my cheeks. It was a really hard road there for a while, but I’m so incredibly proud of the young man he has become.
- My daughter. She’s usually pretty quiet, but when she speaks, there are times when what comes out is profound. More often than not, I find myself saying “you know, I never really thought of it like that.” She has an old soul and a wisdom beyond her years, as if she’s somehow been here before.
- My readers. Y’all did the dang thing, and made my book launch more successful than I ever dreamed. I didn’t have a plan at all, I was just happy to see my life long dream finally come to fruition. My thoughts were if my momma bought a copy, that made me legit and I was happy. Any thoughts of a marketing campaign were hindsight. But you all ran with it, using word of mouth, and my sales have been phenomenal. And I love each and every one of you for it. **MUHWAH!**
- My job. I may have my moments, when I complain about too many meetings or a stressful commute, but I am so very thankful to have a job. There are so many others that don’t. And I have one that allows me to make ends meet pretty comfortably. Don’t get me wrong, there are times when there is more month than money (as my grandma Nanny used to say, I really miss her), but me and my children have everything that we need. The key word being need, which is very different from wants.
- Me. I feel so blessed to be at a point in my life where I finally feel balanced. I am secure in who I am, what I want, what I’m willing to deal with, and what I absolutely will not tolerate. I’m also thankful for my health, and that I’m finally on my way to getting back to the woman I used to see in the mirror, physically. I can look back now and clearly see when I lost her (and why), and it’s time to welcome her back home. It’s been a lot of hard work, but the results are paying off. I look and feel great.
Have you taken time out today to really think about what you’re thankful for? And I’m not talking about all the good food you’ve probably consumed. I think we get so busy with the day-to-day hustle and bustle that we don’t do it often enough. I guess I shouldn’t say we, maybe you do. I know I don’t, and I can only speak for myself. We should all be thankful every day, whether we choose to vocalize it or not, as we all have many things to be thankful for. If you don’t think so, I challenge you to dig deeper. Even if you’re not in the best place in life right now, whatever your situation, there’s always someone who has it worse than you do. So, in the immortal words of William De Vaughn, Be Thankful For What You Got.
Feeling incredibly blessed,
Angela