Thank You

I've always remembered to count my blessings on thanksgiving, but they have always seem so standard: "I am thankful for my family, friends, home, church, etc." Those words always felt so dry in my mouth, as though deep down I felt like I didn't really mean them.


Well, this year is different...very different.


This year, or shall I say this time in my life, I feel like I've been able to take a look around me and really be grateful for what I've been given and what I've been able to do. I believe the key thing with that is not rushing through anything; when I was younger, every stage and chapter in my life was always a means to an end. I was always telling myself "just get through this, and everything will be better afterward." There was always a bypassing of what I had at that moment, and instead looking ahead to the future. 


But right now, I don't want to do that. I have so much right here in front of me, and I want to enjoy every moment that I have of it. This I believe, is a time in my life where I'll one day look back and say "yeah, that really was good!"


Even though it's almost the end of the semester, I still wake up and marvel at how far I've come; that I'm actually in college and pursuing many of the dreams that I've had since I was a child. I'm thankful for the friends that I've made so far, the things that I've been able to do, and the lessons and maturity that I've gained from all of it. 


And because of the maturity, I have had a new appreciation for my family; a lot of times I'm often closed off and hostile toward them, because I tend to think that they'll never really be able to understand how I live my life and what I've had to go through to do so. Over the course of time though, I've seen that they all just want me to be happy. My Mother especially has been my biggest champion, despite my not taking notice of it until now. Family itself has become essential to me, and I don't plan on taking any of that for granted. 


Most importantly, I am thankful to God; the one who has given all of this to me, and can just as easily take it away. Admittedly, I have put my faith on the back-burner for quite sometime. That in itself is another topic to write about later on, but I know that I must never forget where all these wonderful blessings are coming from!


So wherever you are, whoever you're with, and whatever you might be doing- take a minute today and just say "Thank You!"