b l e s s i n g s

I can't help it.  I love lists.  So very much.  It's a disease I think.  And so I'm going to be cliche because it's Thanksgiving tomorrow and add my grateful list to the millions already floating out there in cyberspace.  But hey, aren't they reminders that humanity is worth loving?  That we're not all selfish, greedy beings living in a giant rat race? I'd like to believe that. 

(in no particular order)

1. f a m i l y: Basically I'm stuck with them for eternity and that's more than okay because I love them so big.  No one knows me better than them.  
2. f r i e n d s: Somehow I still have them even though I'm an antisocial rock that pours out some serious sass whenever I open my mouth.  And somehow they still love me despite my odd quirks, the weird sounds that emit from my mouth and the awkward things that are a part of daily me.  They're the best kind of people. 
3. H e a v e n l y  F a t h e r: In my weakest hour, He's there to comfort me.  In my most joyful hour, He's there smiling.  My finite mind can't comprehend His infinite love, but I know it's always there enveloping me like a warm, fuzzy, eternal hug.  And the best part is, He's only a prayer away.
4. J e s u s  C h r i s t: Because of Him, I can get through this crazy mess called life with no scarring.  Because of Him, I can be whole.  Because of Him, I can return to live with my Heavenly Father.
5. d a n c e: Even though I'm always uncertain how much room I have for it in my already busy life, it has been a constant presence.  It is part of my identity, a symbol for who I am, a pathway that has led me to new opportunities and good friends.
6. t r i a l s & p a i n: Pain demands to be felt and trials insist on being known.  Sometimes life sucks so hard and I hate it and want to throw rocks at it.  But looking back, all the pain and the trials have shaped me into the person I am today, for better or for worse.  They've taught me patience, faith and love, that it's okay to not be perfect, to ask for help when I'm drowning and to embrace the emotions that they bring.
7. m o m s: Yes, they get an entire section all to themselves.  I am blessed to have a supportive, loving mother who I can talk to about anything.  I am blessed that I had a birth momma who loved me so much that she wanted me to live.  I am blessed for all the mom figures I've had at church, at dance and in my neighborhood who always welcome me back with open arms when I come back to visit.
8. e d u c a t i o n: Learning is my favorite ever even if it causes me stress and headaches far too often to get the grades I want/need/desperately want.  But that moment when the light bulb suddenly flicks on in my brain is one of the most exciting moments in the history of my life and I get in this state of flow where time seems to stand still and it's just you and this new concept and a friendship has been born and it's just a pretty great moment if you ask me. 
9. d e l i c i o u s  f o o d: Life would not be life without ice cream and fettuccine alfredo and sour patch children and Panda Express and apple pie and white chicken enchiladas and hot chocolate that help you to slow down, savor the moment and thank the souls of the people who created this food to begin with.
10. h u g s: They're always welcome at any time of the day and any part of life--a symbol of human connection and love.