Being Thankful!!

On this eve of Thanksgiving you start to remember Thanksgivings past and think about the upcoming holidays and all that it encompasses.

I greet this Thanksgiving Eve with a lot of melancholy. I have to work day shift at the hospital tomorrow which is not my favorite thing to do during the holidays but as one of my friends pointed out to me....the patients need us and they are forever grateful for our service to them during the holidays. I have to keep reminding myself that I am not only doing this as a job, but also as a ministry to serve God and I just happen to get paid for it! :)

I really do have a lot of reasons to be thankful for this holiday season. Instead of thinking of all the things I haven't accomplished or want to do....I need to focus on the things I do have. I can remember going to my grandparent's house during the holidays and eating myself sick. My grandparents may not have had a lot of riches in the material sense, but they had a wealth of riches that money cannot buy. I also remember the times both sets of grandparents came to our house...this was my favorite b/c of the full kitchen and lots of love surrounding me. Lastly, I can remember how sad I was when I started my job as a nurse and had to pick which holidays I would miss from my family. It was hard to know that I was the only one missing out....but I had to keep reminding myself of how blessed I really was!

So I end this blog listing the top 10 things I am so thankful for:

1. My family...the unconditional love they have given me and the many things I have learned to love and do because of them.
2. My boyfriend Charming C....the one who holds my heart and has shown me that my dreams really can come true.
3. My job....as much as I hate working holidays and weekends, I have a flexible schedule that lets me travel and perform hobbies and spend time with others since I only have to work 3/4 days a week.
4. My dog Delwyn...he loves me even when I am unlovable and is the best snuggler!
5. My running ability....enables me to stay in shape, get rid of my stress, and gives me an excuse to see the country!
6. My friends....they have gotten me through so many tough times and have shown me that family is not only your blood relatives, but also those who see you at your worst and still love you just as much as when you are at your best!
7. My freedom....freedom to speak my mind, serve my God as I please, and not live in fear of constant attack.
8. My health....even though at the moment my head is killing me...I am healthy and cancer free. I don't have to fear the looms of death that so many are facing right now and I am so thankful that I have my body...and it works wonderfully!
9. My ability to notice details...even though at times it drives me crazy...it has helped me become the nurse I am today and has enabled me to keep those closest to me accountable! ;)
10. Lastly...my mom especially. For not giving up hope that she would have a child one day. For taking the best care of me possible when I was not only in her wound but also in her arms and for being my best friend throughout my life. You have sacrificed so much for me physically and emotionally and I will forever be grateful for the encouragement you gave me and my dad throughout life. I know how to cook, clean, show love to others, be creative, and be forgiving all b/c of you!!

So this Thanksgiving......take time to focus on what you have, hold those close to you dear, and remember it's the little things in life that money can't buy that matter most.

Happy Thanksgiving Ya'll!!!