THANKFUL LIST: before i forget to finish it and never post it

[yeah, so i started writing this before thanksgiving and then i fell asleep at my computer and then thanksgiving happened and then the day after was full too... so here i am... a few days behind, but still just as thankful.]


* i have a great family. it's not perfect and we aren't always happy lovey-dovey... but when it comes down to it, i know any one of my siblings would fight to the death for me. i know my parents just want to see me happy, and that they pray for it every night. and when i look at it like that, it makes me feel so lucky. not everyone in this world gets to boast of strong family ties like i get to. not everyone can say that despite all of the drama, when it comes down to it, we love each other so much.

* i am so lucky in friendship. my second family are my friends. especially the ones that live with me here in boston. i have friends from all different phases of my life and i am blessed to keep in contact with a good majority of them. friends that have seen me through every trial, every heartache, every victory. my girls out here have been the best support any girl could ask for. they have no expectations of me, no pre-conceived idea of who i should be. i get to be ornery, happy, introverted, playful, mean, sweet... at any given time and i KNOW that i will always have loving arms around me. i am such a lucky girl.

* i am blessed with employment. it's not at every job that one gets to feel loved like i do. i play sports, color pictures, make jokes, snuggle, go on adventures... these are the things i get paid to do and it's so amazing. not always fun, but an experience i am so grateful to have. it won't be forever. but these kids, my friends, will always be a part of my life, for the things they have taught me.

* because of my job, i can feed myself, live in a home (even if it's rotting and ugly... it's still a home), drive a car, do fun things with friends. i take all of these things for granted on a daily basis, but taking a step back, i see just how blessed i am.

* i live in a country that allows me to have an opinion and express it however i see fit. i get to have rights as a woman, education is available to me, i get to practice my religious beliefs and won't be thrown in jail or killed for it (as our LDS predecessors did before us).

* to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, is such a privilege. and i love that i get to experience it here in boston. yeah, we are mormons, known for our polygamy and non-drinking ways and it's great. but every sunday i go to church with the most amazing individuals... not perfect, not even close and that's why i love them. i love that they strive to build up the Lord's kingdom every day. i love that i have a bishop who challenges our every move... challenges our testimonies, pushes us to follow the commandments on a deeper more profound level. who doesn't let us get away with mediocrity... of any kind... not in our callings, not in our responsibility to share the gospel, temple work or tithing. i feel stretched for the good just by having been a member of his congregation.

* i have a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which i found by way of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I have a connection to my Father in Heaven that I wouldn't trade for anything on this earth. I have faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ, that allows me to find freedom from my weakness, addictions and imperfections. i know that my life is better because i read The Book Of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. my life is filled with the spirit of the Lord and i am so grateful for those who have worked side by side with me, to help me shape the way i view my testimony.