Since it is Thanksgiving time and supposedly we’re expected to do all those wonderful holiday cliches like writing down what you’re thankful for I thought that I would give it a go. Here are a few things I was thinking about today.
1. I am grateful for the sound of my shoes clicking on tile as I walk through an empty art gallery, it makes me feel like I’m filling up the whole room.
2. I’m grateful when I feel clean, when I can run my hand through my hair and it feels smooth and soft. When my face feels beautiful and bright.
3. I’m grateful for the boys who have dumped me. Really, they did me a favor, something that I couldn’t see at the time.
4. I’m grateful for my piano. It may frustrate me to no end when I play a song over and over and over again and can’t figure out quite what is wrong with it, but it keeps me sane. It helps me take apart my life piece by piece and somehow make sense of it by putting it into lyrics, dissonant chords, awkward timings and melodies that fly wherever my voice can take me. It also helps me be heard. People are quiet when I sing, they listen, and maybe they hear. Who knows.
5. I’m grateful for teachers. School teachers, life teachers, and everything inbetween. Any and every thing/one who has ever given me something I wouldn’t have otherwise. I am grateful for those who have taught me through their conceited, unjust, and self centered actions. But more importantly I’m grateful to the people who have the courage to get out of themselves and do what they can for others. To those who don’t do things to appease their feelings of self-importance or pride. Those who honestly listen, give, and think nothing of themselves or their opinions. To those people who don’t just show you how to build a successful life, but actually give you the tools to do so. I could go on for pages and pages about these wonderful people, but I don’t think words can adequately describe the sacrifice, love, concern, and crap that these people have to put themselves through. They are some of my greatest heros.
6. I’m thankful that I feel. I feel the chill bite my face in the mornings; I feel the sun soak into my black pants; I feel my heart swell and overflow when I listen to the struggles and trials of some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met; I feel sad for things lost that will never come back, possibilities that are no more; I feel hope for the future and for who I’m trying to be.
7. I’m thankful for smells. You know how certain smells just pull up memories? It’s a wonderful phenomenon.
8. I’m grateful for my parents. It’s super strange when you start seeing them as humans and not all-knowing beings with eyes in the back of their heads. But even though I’m pretty sure now that they don’t have all those crazy powers I once thought they did, they’re still super-heros to me. No one will probably ever know how much they’ve done for me, but I owe them my entire world; my dreams, my strength, my knowledge, and my belief that I can go make the world a better place than when I came. Thanks Mom and Dad.
9. Crazy as it sounds... I’m grateful for church callings. At the beginning of the semester I remember sitting on the couch after being set apart for two callings and thinking, “How the heck am I supposed to do this? Lord, do you realize how much you’re asking of me right now?” Now I find that somehow during my crazy, hectic, school/work filled days I somehow find time to finish it all. And... my callings make me feel absolutely wonderful. Though I know I’m probably a complete failure in certain aspects of my callings, I feel so good when I’m working on them. I’m met some pretty amazing girls through visiting teaching, and my heart feels whole and full when I talk with them and am with them.
10. I’m grateful for roommates. Through dirty dishes, clogged showers, and crazy mood swings these girls have shown me what strength, love, and endurance truly is. The thing I love about them is their huge desire to be the best they can. They’re not just dreamers, their DOERS. They’ve shown that to me through welcome home hugs, sharing food, and spreading around pep talks constantly to which ever one of us needs it at the time. Maybe none of us has ever got it completely together, but if all women were like them the world would be turned upside down, shaken, then pretty much exalted to celestial glory. Plus it would be one heck of a party.
Anything you're grateful for?
1. I am grateful for the sound of my shoes clicking on tile as I walk through an empty art gallery, it makes me feel like I’m filling up the whole room.
2. I’m grateful when I feel clean, when I can run my hand through my hair and it feels smooth and soft. When my face feels beautiful and bright.
3. I’m grateful for the boys who have dumped me. Really, they did me a favor, something that I couldn’t see at the time.
4. I’m grateful for my piano. It may frustrate me to no end when I play a song over and over and over again and can’t figure out quite what is wrong with it, but it keeps me sane. It helps me take apart my life piece by piece and somehow make sense of it by putting it into lyrics, dissonant chords, awkward timings and melodies that fly wherever my voice can take me. It also helps me be heard. People are quiet when I sing, they listen, and maybe they hear. Who knows.
5. I’m grateful for teachers. School teachers, life teachers, and everything inbetween. Any and every thing/one who has ever given me something I wouldn’t have otherwise. I am grateful for those who have taught me through their conceited, unjust, and self centered actions. But more importantly I’m grateful to the people who have the courage to get out of themselves and do what they can for others. To those who don’t do things to appease their feelings of self-importance or pride. Those who honestly listen, give, and think nothing of themselves or their opinions. To those people who don’t just show you how to build a successful life, but actually give you the tools to do so. I could go on for pages and pages about these wonderful people, but I don’t think words can adequately describe the sacrifice, love, concern, and crap that these people have to put themselves through. They are some of my greatest heros.
6. I’m thankful that I feel. I feel the chill bite my face in the mornings; I feel the sun soak into my black pants; I feel my heart swell and overflow when I listen to the struggles and trials of some of the most amazing people I’ve ever met; I feel sad for things lost that will never come back, possibilities that are no more; I feel hope for the future and for who I’m trying to be.
7. I’m thankful for smells. You know how certain smells just pull up memories? It’s a wonderful phenomenon.
8. I’m grateful for my parents. It’s super strange when you start seeing them as humans and not all-knowing beings with eyes in the back of their heads. But even though I’m pretty sure now that they don’t have all those crazy powers I once thought they did, they’re still super-heros to me. No one will probably ever know how much they’ve done for me, but I owe them my entire world; my dreams, my strength, my knowledge, and my belief that I can go make the world a better place than when I came. Thanks Mom and Dad.
9. Crazy as it sounds... I’m grateful for church callings. At the beginning of the semester I remember sitting on the couch after being set apart for two callings and thinking, “How the heck am I supposed to do this? Lord, do you realize how much you’re asking of me right now?” Now I find that somehow during my crazy, hectic, school/work filled days I somehow find time to finish it all. And... my callings make me feel absolutely wonderful. Though I know I’m probably a complete failure in certain aspects of my callings, I feel so good when I’m working on them. I’m met some pretty amazing girls through visiting teaching, and my heart feels whole and full when I talk with them and am with them.
10. I’m grateful for roommates. Through dirty dishes, clogged showers, and crazy mood swings these girls have shown me what strength, love, and endurance truly is. The thing I love about them is their huge desire to be the best they can. They’re not just dreamers, their DOERS. They’ve shown that to me through welcome home hugs, sharing food, and spreading around pep talks constantly to which ever one of us needs it at the time. Maybe none of us has ever got it completely together, but if all women were like them the world would be turned upside down, shaken, then pretty much exalted to celestial glory. Plus it would be one heck of a party.
Anything you're grateful for?
2 comments:
Jessie, I'm just so grateful for you, that you are my granddaughter. I love you. Grandma M.
Jessica, I LOVED this post! It reminded me to be thankful for all the little things in life that we so often forget to be thankful for. And your writing is so beautiful that it doesn't even sound cheesy! I love to read your stuff! You are such a beautiful girl! ;)
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