A Tradition

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I can't let this week pass without gratitude for this past year and its many gorgeous moments. Truth be told, there was some roughness in it. I remember a few days of hardcore tears and nights where I'd lay in bed wondering what in THE world I was doing with my life. Still, I love it all, and I carry around a profound appreciation for every second my eyes are open and I am alive. Life is a roller coaster, and I am thankful that my Creator allows me to keep riding.

I am grateful for…

1.   People's oddities—the good and the weird. People who dance awkwardly from the hips in a bath towel, who point their index finger a lot for emphasis, who look at you through the bottom of their bifocals, who get lost going somewhere they've been a hundred times, who can't stand having grass in their shoes, who are convinced every piece of meat is undercooked.

2.   Moments when people surprise you, when they do something so bold or so extremely kind that it wakes you up to life's purpose. And moments when you surprise yourself and do the same. 

3.   Friends who will sleep at your house during a windstorm because you are a scared pansy.

4.   A song that so perfectly fits your mood and elevates your soul, you can't help but listen to it for hours on end.

5.   Babies who lay on your chest and fall asleep to your heartbeat.

6.   Pears and the weeks they are in season.

7.   People who have the courage to look at you in the eyes for a few seconds longer than is usual.

8.   The nerve to take a chance on a new idea, without knowing how it will all work out.

9.   People who make you laugh so hard you have to cross your legs, for people who take the time to make happiness seep out of you.

10. The very real and very important moments when you love yourself and are proud of your authentic, ballsy life.