About two months ago, I started to list the names of people who had affected me in some way at some point this year.
This “thank you” list included those who loved and supported me, those who hurt me or disappointed me and even those whose path I crossed just once but who managed to make me laugh, cry or think.
WIthin just a few minutes, I had 50 or 60 names on the list. Another few minutes would have, I am sure, yielded another 50 names.
Just knowing that these people existed and that they had shown up, whether to stay or even pass by, in my life made me smile. And so grateful.
So today, on Thanksgiving, I am committing to living a life in which I am truly and purposely grateful for everything and everyone who comes my way.
For all of it.
For learning lessons the hard way, thank you.
For every tear I shed, thank you.
For every smile from a friend, my children, a stranger on the street, thank you.
For those who made me laugh until I almost peed in my pants, thank you.
For those who didn’t mind that I overuse the F-word, thank you.
For those who love me no matter what, thank you.
For my morning walk in the beautiful park and the gorgeous weather every day, thank you.
For those whose words or actions stung me, or betrayed me, or struck me to the core, thank you.
For all of the new friends who came into my life, thank you (you are my family)
For freedom, thank you.
For knowing my intuition and knowing how to trust it, thank you.
For not being able to live a life of “ignorance is bliss” (no matter how easy it may seem!), thank you.
For those who have told me or shown me things about myself that I probably didn’t want to face at the time, thank you.
For my voice, thank you.
For love, thank you. For unconditional love, thank you.
For the ones who let me down, thank you.
For the crowd around me at my sister’s house right now begging for the computer (including my daughter, my son, my sister and my brother-in law), thank you.
For the dog who came into my life this year, thank you.
For the strength I think I knew I had but only recently tapped into, thank you. And to the people who supported me (and still do) in finding and using that strength, thank you.
For the gift of life, thank you. Thank you for every single moment.
© 2009, Allison Nazarian. © 2010 Allison Nazarian Feel free to quote or reprint this blog post on your blog/website or elsewhere with proper attribution to Allison Nazarian and http://AllisonNazarian.com.
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