I'm Thankful For...

A lot of the time, we wait until something bad happens to reflect on all the good in our lives. Sometimes it takes a hard time to make us appreciative of the easy times. Every now and again, I wonder if it is ingrained in humans to focus on the negative and what they don't have, instead of the positive and what they do have. Don't get me wrong, it's easy to get caught up in the daily grind. We've all shuffled along with our heads down, eyes focused on the steps we're taking and not paying attention to who or what is around us. So many of us have this innate feeling as though we are striving for something, we have a goal, a place to get to, a destination - an end point.

The end point is a lie.

And I'm not just talking about death, though that certainly has a place in these ramblings, but the end point to all our struggles and weariness. The moment we arrive and say, "This is what all the hard work, blood, sweat and tears was for." The reality is a bit harsh, but truthfully put - tomorrow does not exist until it is today, and there is no guarantee it will even arrive.

Individually speaking, we don't know when the end point is, neither in death or in life. While it is a beautiful thing to have goals and hopes and dreams and something to aspire to be, it shouldn't rule us. It shouldn't cloud our senses and make it impossible for us to notice and enjoy what surrounds us every day. Living for the future is a silly idea. Living for the now with hope for a future makes more sense to me. Appreciating what we have, while we have it, is something I highly encourage.

Over the last year of my ever-surprising life, I've learned to be thankful for what I have. These things change, depending on mood and weather, but every single day of my life I am thankful for something. But sometimes I don't say it. And sometimes the people I appreciate don't know that I do. So, today, I am going to say it...today I am thankful for...

Being able bodied enough to get up, get dressed and get out the door.
My sister's voice.
Being able to hug my mother.
Sidekick Love.
Morning check-ins and end of day good nights.
Kisses.
Etnie's meow as I petted him on the way out of the house.
How close it is to October.
Oliver snuffles.
Jay's unwavering friendship.
The changing colours of the leaves.
Crispness in the air.
RebRebs patience in teaching me how to knit.
Apple cinnamon everything.
Being afforded the luxury of having food in my cupboards and a roof over my head.
Days off.
Those who read my blog and watch my vlogs.
Thrift stores.
Rae-Bots text messages.
Silly little love songs.
Scrabble.
Teasing people.
My father's cursing.   
My fish mug.
CAKE.
Where I live.
The city and mountains and ocean.
Raindrops sounding on the windowpane.
The ability to bake and cook delicious things and feed the people I love.
Terrible girly movies.
Laughing until I cry.
Roadtrips.
Cute boys.
Plaid shirts.
Adorable underwear.
Zombies.
Words and books and reading.
Hand holding.
Sight, smell, tasting, hearing and touching.
Nautical things.
Double entendres.

These are just a few things I appreciate this morning. The list will grow as the day gets longer, as I wake up and remember all the awesomeness that surrounds me. A lot of these are constants - they are what I love and appreciate every single day of my tiny insignificant life. But over and above all of these things, I am thankful that I have the chance to be thankful today. To appreciate people and things and moments.

I am thankful I am here.