Almost exactly a year ago I posted a blog titled Thanks. I was in Hilton Head, South Carolina and my life was, to say the least, different. Not different in a bad way, not in a good way either, it was just different. I'm 363 days older and I'm lucky if I'm even a day wiser.
While I may not be "wiser" I have learned a lot. In 363 days I have felt a wide array of emotions. I've felt like absolute shit some days, but looking at it now I can't measure my time in this emotion or that emotion. I can; however, measure it in comparisons. In 363 days I've laughed more than I've cried, I've loved more than I've lost, I've smiled more than I've frowned, and I've had more good days than bad. Needless to say I have a lot to be thankful for.
Like last year and every year before that I am thankful. This year I'm thankful for things I never would've thought I'd be thankful for. This Thanksgiving I am thankful for the usual things like friends, family, and good health but I'm thankful for other things too.
I'm thankful that things change. From times, to people, to relationships. I'm thankful for everything that has happened to me, for better or for worse, that has left me where I am at today.
I'm thankful that I'm a stubborn person. Call it stubborn or persistent I wouldn't be where I'm at if I hadn't pursued the very things people told me not to. My life wouldn't be nearly as interesting if I listened to what people told me.
I'm thankful for learning experiences. Things like being heartbroken, my grandmother passing away, and even choosing the wrong school. I've learned so much about myself from everything that's happened to me. (I still don't believe that "everything happens for a reason" but I believe that you can learn from everything that happens.)
I'm thankful that I am who I am. I'm really learning a lot about myself and I love it. I'm not saying I love myself, which I do, I'm saying I love figuring myself out. We spend so much time trying to figure everyone else out that we rarely figure ourselves out. It's through our findings in other people, our trials and tribulations, and our mistakes that we come into our own.
I ate a lot of turkey today and I laughed a lot today. How the hell could I complain?
Be thankful for the past that made you who you are today and the you today that is going to make your tomorrow.
NP: Springsteen- Eric Church
I love reading your posts as a college student because it helps me realize that there are other students with similar opinions that I have. I don't remember how I exactly found your blogspot, but it is interesting to have so much in common with a stranger via blog posts. I loved your post about missing your hometown as well. I moved from a smaller town to a large city (not as populated as New York however), and I completely agree that I can indeed get lost in all of the lavish splendor that it has to offer; so much that it can take a great deal of strength to take a step back and remember who I was when I moved here. I don't want to make this post into a blog post of my own, but I just wanted to thank you for being one of the very few in our age group to create a blog solely based on your thoughts. It is nice to know there are some other over-analyzers out there that aren't crazy scientists or depressed cat ladies (I hope we won't succumb to being either of those). Never lose sight of who you are through your writing, although, I don't see that happening anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteNicole, I'm so sorry I didn't comment back sooner! I got your comment and it made me smile. It's nice to know there are people far and wide, people I don't even know, like you, who might stumble across my blog and find it useful. Please keep reading and commenting when you see fit.
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