Remembering to be Thankful

With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, I thought I would spend some time reflecting on what I am thankful for. You hear people say all the time (myself included) that they are thankful for things… but are those the things they are really the most thankful for? It surprised me when I really sat down and thought about the things I am most thankful for.

So, in honor or Thanksgiving, I have created a list of the top ten things I am thankful for at this time in my life. Here they are in no particular order:

1.My Family and Friends

I love my family very much and am always reminded during the holidays how lucky I am to be a part of such a big, extended family. My parents are incredibly supportive, encouraging, and loving…they’ve helped me become the woman that I am today. I am fortunate to have grown up with nearly all my grandparents and great-grandparents… with lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins. My friends are like family to me, too. I am thankful for the group of girls I have been friends with since kindergarten…and for all the friends I made during college. My life wouldn’t be complete without this extended network of supportive people who feel more like family to me than friends.

2.My Husband

I really hit the jackpot with having David as my husband. He truly is my better half most of the time and we make a great team. He gets me; he understands what makes me ME and he loves me unconditionally. I love his passion for life and his enthusiasm to start a family… he’ll make a great father someday. This year I am especially thankful to have him in my life as my HUSBAND.

3.My Education

Education is something I have never taken for granted but recently, it has become something I have become even more thankful for. My parents instilled in me at an early age the value and excitement of learning. I always loved school and always felt driven to continue to learn, even now that my formal education is completed. I am thankful my parents worked so hard to help me pay for college. I am thankful I had the opportunity to complete my Master’s degree. I will always continue to learn… whether I pursue my PhD or not. Education opens the door to opportunities and I am thankful for that.

4.Basic Necessities (Food, water, clothing, shelter)

Sometimes I complain about this one… a lot. I’ll admit it. There are days when I complain about my house not being perfect or completely finished. There are days when I complain there is nothing to eat or dinner doesn’t turn out good enough. Of course I never have the right shoes to go with my outfit. I complain, just like the average woman. But I am thankful, truly and completely thankful that I even have any of these things. I have seen parts of the world, including here in Milwaukee, where people don’t have these things. Where women and children go weeks without food; where clean water doesn’t exist; or where new clothes consist of hand-me-downs from Goodwill. This Thanksgiving, I am reminding myself to be thankful for the basic necessities in life and to complain a little less about these things not always being “perfect”.

5.The Way Africa Changed Me

This is something I am especially thankful for. Before I left on my first mission trip, someone told me “to be prepared to be ruined”. I had no idea what they meant…until I experienced Africa. All of its beauty, grace, despair, poverty, ignorance, injustice, cruelty, hunger, disease… after experiencing all of that, my life as I had known it was in fact “ruined”. This could be an entire other posting in itself so I will just say, I am thankful that I had the opportunity, the privilege, to visit a place that so many others will never see. I am thankful for my opportunities to share this experience with others and to bring awareness to others. Once you experience Africa you will never be the same… I promise you that much.

6. My Faith

My faith is what makes me get up each morning… it’s what follows me throughout the day, with everything I do. I having a loving Father who gave up his life so that I could live and that is a beautiful thing. I am incredibly blessed and probably don’t give enough gratitude to God for that. I am a Christian woman who tries to live the faith I’ve been taught and learned to trust.

7. My Health

I am SO thankful to be healthy. I see newly diagnosed cancer patients every day, some of them as young as me. I sometimes wonder why they got sick and I didn’t. I watch as my own grandmother battles cancer. I am surrounded by cancer and let me tell you, it really does stink! I am SO thankful that I have health insurance, a primary physician, and access to any and all medical treatment I would need in the event I do get sick. Every day I meet a new reminder of my own good health and every day I find another reason to be thankful for it.

8. My Job

I am incredibly thankful that I found a job prior to finishing graduate school in May. I am thankful that I work for a non-profit organization and that I get to spend every day helping someone. I get to spend each day helping to make the life of someone facing a cancer diagnosis a little bit better. I may have stressful days, moments where I don’t think I can do it any longer, or days when I just complain about work like the average person… but when I stop and think, I am thankful to have a job, especially one that makes the lives of others better.

9. My Future

I have more reasons than not to trust that God has a big, bright future planned for me! How can I not be thankful for that? I know that Dave and I will have a big family of our own someday filled with lots of love. I know that we’ll have opportunities to travel and see the world together. I know that I will find a purpose for my life greater than anything I could even imagine. Just knowing that I HAVE a future is enough to make me smile.

10. Volunteer Opportunities

I always tell people, if I didn’t have to work a day for the rest of my life, I would spend it volunteering and doing the things I love. Nothing makes my heart happier than doing something, selflessly for someone else. I am so thankful that I realized my passion for caring for orphans and vulnerable children at such an early age. I am thankful for the people I have met during my volunteer opportunities. I can’t wait to teach my children about the importance of serving others someday and volunteering as a family.

There you have it…the things that I feel most thankful for this year. Of course I need to remind myself of these things more than just on Thanksgiving. There will always be days when I am most thankful for my cup of morning coffee, or for Sunday night TV, or for a new pair of shoes… but today I am most thankful for the bigger things in life.

I hope everyone has a blessed Thanksgiving holiday filled with lots of food, fun, family, and thankfulness!