Gratitude

Sometimes I just have to shake my head at myself when I realize how hard I make life on myself. It's so silly that it takes a label on one day of the year like "Thanksgiving" to get me to realize how incredibly blessed I am. How much of a happier person would I be and how much of a happier outlook on life would I have if instead of starting everyday with "what do I have to do" I got out of bed and asked myself "what do I get to do today"? What I realized today, as I was missing loved ones far away and growing closer to the ones I have here and eating delicious food and taking my turn listing all of the things I'm thankful for, is that life is more than our endless "to do" lists. My life is more than the tests I have to take and the papers I have to write and hoops I have to jump through to "get somewhere" in life. I already am somewhere in life. I'm happy and healthy with goals and dreams and the ability to laugh and cry and wonder at the little mystery and miracle that my life is. I feel as though if people didn't wait until Thanksgiving to appreciate their lives then we would have a lot more happy people in the world rather than haggard, busy and depressed people. So take this Thanksgiving Day and make it a habit in your life. All of those bright and wonderful things in your life are more than capable of out shining the darkness as long as you know they are there. So to be trite, carry an attitude of gratitude within your heart, it will amaze how light and happy it feels.