I'm Thankful For......

I heard someone suggest the other day to write out each area of your life and what you are thankful for in that area. Since it is so appropriate for Thanksgiving, I thought that it should be my update. I haven't thought this through yet, so I have no idea what I will be writing. Even though this might be like setting barracudas loose on myself, here goes.
*****
FRIENDS - I'm thankful for the friends I have made at school. I don't get out very often to make friends anywhere else. Plus for a long time I've been afraid to try. For the longest time I surrounded myself with the wrong kind of people. It is so great to belong to a group of like-minded people in so many areas. I'm thankful that even when we fight or get on each others nerves, we usually forget about it by the next day. I'm thankful for some friends specifically, and I'm going to name names - if I haven't mentioned you, it DOESN'T mean you aren't my friend.

Deb, I love how you sit back and just watch everyone. I love how much you have grown, and I'm talking about JUST what I can see. I know there is so much more than meets the eye, and you've had a lot to deal with, but I think you've done an excellent job. I'm thankful to have someone like you as a friend.

Desiree, I'm so thrilled to find someone who can read my mind the way you can. I haven't had that since I was 15. (Which is more years than I like to think about!) We have so much in common, and I'm going to miss you terribly when you leave our class!

Krystal, I'm thankful for you for what may be an unusual reason, and I hope I don't offend here. It took me a while to really get a feel for you. The fact that you were in the military intimidated me. Other people from the military in my past scared the crap out of me, so I just didn't know how to relate to you. It only took six months (!), but I think I understand how you tick now. I always try to wait to know someone before making a judgment, but with people who were former military, I wasn't doing that. I'd always assume wrong things, and not even try to get to know them. You have shown me how bright, intelligent, sweet, and sometimes vulnerable, people can be in the military, too. I'm going to make my apology here for misjudging you from the first. Please forgive me.

Andrew, you are really funny, sometimes annoyingly so. :-) It's just not that often that I can laugh so much, even at silly things with someone. I don't think you have Tourette's anymore!

Lynda, you've been there for me through the weight loss battle, even when I'm not really trying. Thanks for being supportive and accepting of me exactly the way I am.

Valare, Thanks for being a friend and being patient with me, even when my life gets so busy, it seems I don't have time for anyone.

Jessica, There have been times I didn't think we would still be friends 4 years after I moved away from being your neighbor. I'm glad we still are. I'm thankful our kids get along again, because we can actually spend time together now.

Becky, you're the one who kicked my backside and made me get a move on with my life. If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have all these other great friends to write about!
*****
FAMILY - I'm thankful that I have such a wonderful child and husband, and that my husband and I are working on our issues. As much as I hate to admit it, I'm even thankful for his family, even though I don't always feel like I'm truly part of it. That's probably my doing though. I've always had a hard time opening up to new people who have a lot of potential to be able to hurt me. If you know my past, go figure.

Nicole, I'm so thankful we've worked past our problems! I think being in this class together is going to be really good for us together, separately, and individually. (I hope you understood that, even if no one else does!)

Bubba Duck, you are and probably always will be my favorite sibling. I'm thankful that we get along (at least when we don't live together, and I've found out that's fairly normal for a lot of siblings). I'm thankful I can talk to you about any problem and get an ear. I'm thankful you are comfortable talking to me, too...And I'm glad we can have fun, even when we're talking about something pretty serious!

Aunt Marjorie, I'm thankful that I have at least one extended family member I can relate to. It really means a lot to me that you are not the kind of person to listen to gossip or shun the black sheep of the family. I'm thankful to have you as a tie to my roots.
*****
HEALTH
Seems like my health is something I'm always battling with. But I'm thankful I'm as healthy as I am, and that my biggest problem is fixable.
*****
RELATIONSHIP TO SELF
I'm thankful that I have learned so much about who I am, and learned a lot of the expectations I have of myself and others have of me can be unrealistic. I've been so hard on myself because I always thought I had to be a certain way or be who others wanted me to be. I'm me. And I'm happy with me. I was going to list a whole other category of spiritual thankfulness, but in some ways, I can fit that here. God doesn't expect me to be a different person. God doesn't expect perfection. I'm thankful for the Gift He gave us, and for all the people who remind me of that through their own lives.