...and speaking of Thanksgiving

I was inspired today by Paula's Blog. It reminded me of the real meaning of Thanksgiving. Not the turkey, the food, the traffic, the shopping, etc., but the REAL meaning... Giving Thanks.

So here's my list of the many things that I am grateful for. I try not to take any of it for granted, and I realize how very blessed I am...

My boyfriend/fiance/love of my life/best friend. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I still find it amazing that I'm lucky enough to have found someone in this world who makes me laugh, smile, love, and enjoy life as much as he does. He's loving, compassionate, smart, talented, artistic, geeky, and not too bad at Halo :)

My family. I've always known that I have a wonderful relationship with both of my parents and my sister. My parents had us when they were very young, and have said that we all grew up together. They have always been very loving, supportive and understanding of any choice I've ever made.

My extended family. I am 34 years old (with an older sister) and I am fortunate enough to still have all four of my grandparents. It's quite amazing, and believe me, I know how lucky I am. We are a very close family of grandparents, parents, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, and second cousins. We get together for most holidays, and all live within a couple of hours from each other.

Dick's family. Yes, they'll be my family soon, too :) I'm especially grateful for the love, support and friendship that they have given me, even from the very first time I met them. They have always made me feel like I was part of their family, and I am very grateful for that.

My friends: Those I see every day, every week, every year, and even those I only see once every few years. I am so lucky to have so many friends in town, nearby, in state, across the country, and even the world. Those friends who I can go for months on end without seeing, and have an immediate connection with again - those are special friendships.

Fuzzy friends. I love my kitties, and appreciate every day that we share together. There's nothing like the unconditional love of a pet.

My health. I've dealt with some health issues of my own in the past, but I also realize how minor it is compared to what other people face every day. I do believe that having questioned the stability of my health at one time has made me appreciate how important our health really is.

My work. I've had my web design business for almost 8 years now. That's simply astounding to me. I'm thankful that I've had the opportunity and ability to do work that I truly enjoy, from my home, on my own terms, and to have the ability to make a living out of it. I love what I do, and hope that I can continue to do it for many more years to come.

Creativity. Art, in one form or another, has always played an important part of my life - drawing, painting, music, dance, color guard, etc., . I am thankful for the creative outlets that I've been given throughout the years, and for the people who have helped me to devleop my talents.

Worldly Possessions. Although I realize that "things" are not entirely necessary for a happy life, I'm very grateful for those things that I have that make me happy everyday. From my Raggedy Ann collection, to my MINI Cooper, and even my computer...I know how lucky I am to have all of these material possessions in my life.

Our Home. I believe in serendipity - events that are "meant to happen". My (upstairs) condo used to be owned by my friend, Andrew. I used to come over and visit him at his place, and I always had a "feeling" that it would be my home one day. I remember thinking once, that perhaps Andrew would move one day, and that he would possibly rent it out to me. Well, a couple of years later, he and his partner decided to buy a house together, and sell both of their properties. I was just out of art school, and not in any financial position to ever consider real estate opportunities. Long story short, my sister and my parents heard of Andrew's move, and suggested that we all invest in the property together. Years later, I moved into Dick's house, and after much debate, we decided to hold on to the condo, even though renting it was problematic. You all know the end of the story: my tenants gave notice around the same time that my downstairs neighbors decided to sell. Dick bought the downstairs unit, and we combined both condos to make one beautiful house. It was truly meant to be.

A friend of mine who I hold great admiration for once told me that "good things happen to good people".

I know that I've had my fair share of good fortune already. I've lived a very charmed life, and I appreciate every single moment of it.

My thanks to all of you for sharing your lives with me.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.

..and now it's time to play more Halo ;)
(i'm grateful for the shotgun)