My List

I haven't really made a legit "What I'm thankful for.." list in probably more than 10 years, and for good reason.
I never really wanted to write one because well, to say the least they are pretty cliche, and I didn't want to write one because it would have been forced.
I didn't want to write one because I felt like I had to, and it's not that I've never been thankful for the things that I have in my life, I just never wanted to take the time to make a list, because like I said it would have been cliche and forced and I don't like writing forced thoughts.

But this year I feel the need to write a list of things about what I'm thankful for because this year I've gone through a lot of changes and I've crashed through a lot of walls and I'm thankful that I'm able to keep my stride. So here it is, my list.

I'm thankful for my family.
Sure, there are things both my parents do to drive me up a wall, and sometimes I want to scream at my sister, but it's my family and it's the only one I have. My parents are divorced and sometimes it's still hard to comprehend, but as long as they're both around, I will still love them, flaws and all. They'll always be there to listen to me when I cry, when I need to get my car fixed, and when I just need a long, overdue hug.

I'm thankful for my friends.
I would not be who I am without them. I would not be as strong as I am without them. I would not be sane without them, even though some of them make me go crazy once in a while. I have the friends who will listen to me complain about anything and everything - thanks for tolerating it guys, or at least pretending to. ;-)

I'm thankful for my past relationships.
You truly have made me who I am today - stronger, careful, and even more eager to find someone who will truly care for me the way I care for them. But they've also given me the chance to show others a love and caring nature I always knew I could show to others, but never knew I could receive in return. You've given me hope that after each one, a new one comes along, and there are others that will come around again.

I'm thankful for my talents.
My ability to write poetically, in a journalistic manner, and creatively has given me the hope there is something I'm good at when I thought there was nothing. My eye for photography and my ability to keep learning to become better and being able to expand it into my journalism career. My voice which brought me to meet some of my best friends, and winning me a free trip to Las Vegas, and I'll keep on singing.

I'm thankful for being strong in my Faith.
Part of this is due to the way I was raised, but being able to continue to be strong away from home is what I'm most proud of. Being able to fight temptations, especially when they're so easy to falter to in IC. My faith has has given me the ability to care for others and be understanding of others. To be able to say no when I know something is wrong. To be able to believe everything happens for a reason, because I do and will always believe that, no matter what. 


And I'm thankful that I have grown to be a strong person, even when I felt like my world was crumbling beneath my feet. I'm thankful for being able to see the light at the end of the tunnel and having the ability to chase after it.