Giving Thanks

Well, I am sitting alone...on Thanksgiving night. I'm having my own private pity party. I hate being alone, especially on the holidays. I'm just so used to being with a big group of family, where it's loud and chaotic and we play games late into the night....this is weird, the silence. Granted, my grandparents are around here somewhere, but they are most likely sleeping. I'm feeling down, so I decided that it would be a good exercise for me to remember the things that I am most thankful for. So, here's a short list...

1. I'm thankful that I was born with in a family with parents strong in the gospel. I'm not sure what my life would be without it, but I'm sure I'd be in a darker place... It's as simple as that.

2. I am thankful for my Mom and all she has ever done for me. We had moments when we didn't always get along, but she is the one person I can confide in, and just having her in the room makes me feel better. I miss her hugs.

3. I'm thankful for my family. They are my best friends, and I miss them terribly right now. They have always been the only people that I can count on unconditionally, they only people I can be completely myself around, and I love them. (This includes my wonderful extended family, cousins and such.)

4. I am thankful to have a place to live. This seems especially important to me right now, as it is in the negatives outside.

5. I am thankful to have good food to eat and to have my grandparents here in Logan to look after me when funds are low. I cooked my first turkey today... It turned out well, if I say so myself. :) I made pies and jello, too, to contribute to our feast for four.

6. I am thankful to have a job. It may not always be the most fun, interesting, or exciting, but, I am grateful.

7. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to go to college and to graduate. I am still contemplating returning to school, but my degree will provide me with opportunities that I would otherwise not have without it.

8. I am thankful to have the opportunity to travel and learn about the world. I hope to continue this throughout my life.

9. I am thankful for friends that make my life much more full and enjoyable.

10. I am thankful to live in this country. It may not always be governed in a way I agree with, but the freedoms that we are afforded with here are a great blessing.

11. I am thankful for the pilgrims that came to the American continent. I am thankful for Richard Warren and Francis and John Cooke, my pilgrim ancestors, that had the courage to stand up for what they believed in. I am thankful for my ancestors' bravery, as they joined the church throughout the world, left everything they knew, and traveled across the plains to pursue a safe place of worship.

12. I am thankful for chocolate. It's a glorious food.

13. I am thankful for my pets, particularly my angel of a cat.

14. I am thankful for music, it soothes my soul.

15. I am thankful for nature and the chance I have to grow closer to God through it.

I suppose this list could go on and on... This was a very good exercise to engage in, though... my mind is in a better place. But, so this post doesn't get too long, I should probably stop writing. Plus, one of my favorite Christmas movies just came on, which makes me happy. :)