What Are You Thankful For?

As this Thanksgiving draws near, I find myself struggling to find something to be grateful for.  There seems to be a lot of strife going on! Superstorm Sandy, continued unrest in the Middle East, and scandals right and left!  This year, my senses were overloaded with all kinds of negative campaign ads and attacks, and to top it off, I thought I had finally found “the one,” which couldn’t have been farther from the truth,  and I have been battling a cough for the past two weeks that I can’t seem to get rid of.  Last week, it seemed everywhere I turned I face negativity and “haterators,” which can really bring you to your knees sometimes, especially when you don’t have a clue why you are the object of such scorn.  But all that pales in comparison, when it hits you, that the things you are fretting about are minute compared to someone losing their home, or having to worry about being blown away by a bomb at any minute. It’s easy to find a lot to be grateful for then.  Needless to say, after reflecting on such things today in my sick-bed, I realized it is time to send the pity party packing and get it together.  So,  I wrote a LONG entry in my journal and forced myself to accept that, “It is what it is, and there is nothing I can do about it, but move on.” We can’t change others, only ourselves.  We can’t change the way they feel about us, but we can change the way we feel about them.  We can hate them the way they hate us or we can act differently ( e.g. forgive them or love them from a distance). So after saying that mantra, the toughest part was coming up with five things I am grateful for.  At first, I stared at the wall dumbfounded for several minutes, and then one thing came to mind, and then another, and before I knew it , I had eight!  So,  I would like to share them.  Here, they are in no particular order:

What I am Grateful For

1. To be able see, hear, walk, talk, and think.
2. Losing over 30 lbs.
3. Music.
4. For all the people who called, text, or checked on me, and gave  me encouragement while I was sick.
5. Having the ability to pick myself up when I fall.
6. That the Creator looks at the heart and not just the outward appearance.
7. Knowing that this is not it all there is.
8. That I am going to Paris next year.

Of course I am grateful that my family and friends are healthy and safe, and I continue to pray for those who are less fortunate than I, but sometimes you have to find out what you are truly grateful for at that moment and go from there. It is what it is. Happy Thanksgiving!