I forget, sometimes, how lucky I am.
Like most of us, I tend to get bogged down in the vexing minutiae of everyday existence; the paper that's due, the 15 pounds I wish I could lose, this petty arguments with roomates, the he-said-she-said drama that sometimes pervades my social circle. All the little things build up, compounding each other, taking up more and more room in my mind, leaving me less and less space for things that really matter.
So tonight, I wanted to take a moment to do a little thanksgiving (but without the turkey, and the slaughtering of indigenous peoples.)
I'm thankful for the big things, of course; thankful that I live in a wealthy, first world country; that I have clean water, and food, and a roof over my head, a warm bed to sleep in, a political system that allows dissent and activism (although how long I'm going to be able to leave that on the list if we don't get up off our collective bottoms is a matter for another entry), all that jazz.
I'm thankful for my parents. They may not always understand me, and we don't always see eye to eye, but they love me, for the most part, and generally try to support my happiness. I know that if i screw up, they'll be there to help me, and as much as that sometimes grates on my nerves and makes me feel like a perpetual child, it's nice to know that those apron strings are still there to tug on if I really need them.
I'm thankful for good books, little self-contained worlds I can get lost in for hours. I'm thankful for beautiful colors (I know this one makes me sound like I'm a burnt out flowerchild, but honestly, the rich gold satin sheen of the scarf I'm wearing right now is like a symphony for my eyes.) I'm thankful for grilled mushrooms and chai lattes - but not mixed together. Ew. I'm thankful for that wonderful feeling when you wake up early and realize you have time to go back to sleep for another hour.
I'm thankful for singing.
'm thankful for the amazing people I know. I don't have many close friends - I've never been good with letting people in, but I have some wonderful acquaintances who interest me, and challenge me to see the world in different ways.
I'm thankful that I'm still young, not because I dread the onset of wrinkles and arthritis, but because I still have so much time. When I feel lost and directionless, when I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with my life, if I take a step back and get some perspective, I realize that I still have, with any luck, a good 50 years to figure it out. When I take the time to think of the virtually limitless array of possibilities still laid out before me, it amazes and humbles me, and fills me with hope.
I need to remind myself of these things more often.
Like most of us, I tend to get bogged down in the vexing minutiae of everyday existence; the paper that's due, the 15 pounds I wish I could lose, this petty arguments with roomates, the he-said-she-said drama that sometimes pervades my social circle. All the little things build up, compounding each other, taking up more and more room in my mind, leaving me less and less space for things that really matter.
So tonight, I wanted to take a moment to do a little thanksgiving (but without the turkey, and the slaughtering of indigenous peoples.)
I'm thankful for the big things, of course; thankful that I live in a wealthy, first world country; that I have clean water, and food, and a roof over my head, a warm bed to sleep in, a political system that allows dissent and activism (although how long I'm going to be able to leave that on the list if we don't get up off our collective bottoms is a matter for another entry), all that jazz.
I'm thankful for my parents. They may not always understand me, and we don't always see eye to eye, but they love me, for the most part, and generally try to support my happiness. I know that if i screw up, they'll be there to help me, and as much as that sometimes grates on my nerves and makes me feel like a perpetual child, it's nice to know that those apron strings are still there to tug on if I really need them.
I'm thankful for good books, little self-contained worlds I can get lost in for hours. I'm thankful for beautiful colors (I know this one makes me sound like I'm a burnt out flowerchild, but honestly, the rich gold satin sheen of the scarf I'm wearing right now is like a symphony for my eyes.) I'm thankful for grilled mushrooms and chai lattes - but not mixed together. Ew. I'm thankful for that wonderful feeling when you wake up early and realize you have time to go back to sleep for another hour.
I'm thankful for singing.
'm thankful for the amazing people I know. I don't have many close friends - I've never been good with letting people in, but I have some wonderful acquaintances who interest me, and challenge me to see the world in different ways.
I'm thankful that I'm still young, not because I dread the onset of wrinkles and arthritis, but because I still have so much time. When I feel lost and directionless, when I have no idea what I'm supposed to do with my life, if I take a step back and get some perspective, I realize that I still have, with any luck, a good 50 years to figure it out. When I take the time to think of the virtually limitless array of possibilities still laid out before me, it amazes and humbles me, and fills me with hope.
I need to remind myself of these things more often.
It was sweet to read and made me sit back and agree.
I like what you put about colors (I agree). And parents... the way your worded the apron strings bit,
Today I'm thankful for the couch that is so perfectly worn in and comfy, and the sun that is warming me as I lay in the beam.