The Same but Different

Today I am thankful for the ability to look at things from a different perspective.  I'm pretty sure y'all know I sometimes take a ride on the negative side of the emotional rollercoaster.  I get mad, lonely, sad, pissed off, furious, exasperated, confused, hurt, defeated, disgusted, frustrated, anxious, afraid, disappointed, irritated, envious, worrisome, guilty, doubtful, tense, and just plain unhappy sometimes.  I think we all do, don't you?  And, quite frankly, I think that's perfect fine as long as a) we're aware that we feel that way (and at least partially willing to explore why we feel that way) and b) those feelings are temporary.  As I mentioned the other day, I haven't felt up to par lately, and today, more than anything, I wanted to stay curled up in bed and snooze the day away.  Miserable as it was, though, I pushed through and went to work.  The day was rainy and cold, and, honestly, I spent the large majority of the time I was at work wishing I had stayed in bed.  When I left school, though, I found something I'd been looking for for about two weeks now... the Christmas music station on XM Radio.  I know it sounds silly and trivial, but it turned my whole day around.  I started to perk up and feel a little better, and would you believe that the sun actually peeked through the clouds a little bit?  That little blessing in my life just served to remind me of how things can look completely different when you change your vantage point and allow yourself to see things differently.  I had made up my mind that today was a down day, but God opened my eyes and showed me, once again, how things can turn around in an instant if I just change my perspective.

Land of the Free

Tonight I am thankful for freedom.  I won't pretend to understand and realize all the many ways that freedom makes my life what it is, for I have been blessed enough to be born and raised in a land where freedom there when I wake up in the morning and still there when I go to sleep at night.  I have no idea what life would be like in a place where I wasn't granted freedom to live my life the way I wanted to.  I am thankful tonight for the men and women who, for the centuries since this country was established, have fought to keep that freedom alive and continue to put their lives on the line for all of us here at home.  Soldiers go, time after time, into dangerous, unknown lands to defend our freedom and our homeland against dangerous opponents, and I cannot thank those courageous, self-sacrificing souls enough for their commitment to this country and all that it stands for.

Added Fuel

Tonight I am thankful for lemon-lime Gatorade.  And I do specifically mean lemon-lime because, for me, that's really the only flavor there is.  You see, I've been feeling a little under the weather these last few days, probably mostly to do with the recent drop in temperature or some such phenomenon like that.  My throat is scratchy; my nose is running; I've got drainage running all down my throat (TMI?).  All in all, I've just been feeling a little cruddy.  For me, when I start to feel like this, it's time to go for the Gatorade.  Lemon-lime Gatorade always reminds me of being sick when I was growing up because I guess it was one of the only times my mom bought it.  It really did always make me feel better, and so now, whenever I get sick or feel under the weather, I head for that familiar remedy.  Oddly enough, I don't even really love it that much when I'm feeling good, but, for some reason, it's what I feel like I need most when I'm not feeling my best.  Maybe it just reminds me of being comforted and petted when I was young and sick; maybe it just tastes good.  Who knows?  All I know is the quicker somebody gets me some of that lemon-lime goodness, the quicker I'll be moving on down the road to recovery.

Hey Amigo

Tonight I am thankful for my amazingly too-unbelievable-for-words friends.  I'm pretty sure you've heard me go on and on about them before, but my friends are seriously phenomenal.  At the wedding this weekend I was reminded over and over again of how blessed I am to have so many out-of-this-world people in my life, and, since I got back, I have continued to be reminded of that idea at every turn.  Whether it be a long-awaited reunion at a wedding, a lengthy phone call full of laughter and crazy stories, or almost-daily text messages, I am so, so fortunate to have each and every one of them in my life.  I was writing about these fabulous people in my journal today, and I was just overcome by how much they have changed and enriched my life in so many monumental and varying ways.  I would not at all be the person I am without each and every one of them in my life.  People would be lucky to have one or two great friends in their lifetimes, but I have been blessed enough to have a number of awe-inspiring friendships in my life.  I don't pretend to know why God saw fit to bless me in this way, but I continuously humbled by their very presence in my life.



The Sound of Music

Tonight I am thankful for music.  Don't you think it's amazing how there's a song or piece of music to fit every situation in life absolutely perfectly?  I love finding the perfect song, and I love when I can impeccably match my mood to a song.  Music makes my life better, and I honestly can't imagine my life without it.  I can't really imagine getting ready to go out on a Friday night without some great rap jams in the background; I can't imagine Christmas without the wonder of Christmas music; I can't imagine getting my heart broken without wallowing around in my bed crying and listening to sappy love songs.  Seriously, music makes my life better.  Right now I'm listening to the Walk the Line soundtrack, which is one of my favorite go-to selections, and it really never gets old.  Music brings my emotions and feelings and experiences and memories to life, and it can instantly transport me back to another time or place.  Personally, I think that's pretty cool.  And, let's be honest, singing at the top of my lungs in my car or belting out an old favorite into my hairbrush is just plain fun.

Love Me True

Tonight I am thankful for reminders that true love still exists.  Lindsey and Ray, two of my favorite people in the world, got married last night, and watching them throughout the weekend served to remind me that true love is not a myth; though rare in this day and age, it's still out there.  Lindsey and I have been very close friends for about six years now, and, from the minute I met Ray I knew he was the one for her.  Lindsey is one of the most thoughtful, genuine, caring people I've ever met, and Ray is the perfect complement to her.  Seeing them together reminds occasionally bitter self-deprecating cynics like me that real, honest love is not always a farce created by Hollywood and Hallmark; it actually exists, and it's written all over their faces.  Every minute of the weekend was so "them," and it all came together so beautifully.  I am so thankful to have these amazing people in my life individually as my friends, and I am even more blessed to have loving, caring couples like them around to serve as examples and remind me what I'm holding out for.  I love you both sooooooo much, and I am so honored to have been a part of such a beautiful, wonderful celebration of your love for each other.

PS:  I promise to share pictures of the wedding in the coming weeks when the photographer gets them all edited and posted.  I can't even begin to do justice to this event in mere words, so I will hold out and let the pictures speak for themselves. 

For the Want of a Nail

Today I am thankful for OPI Nail Lacquer.  How do they always get the colors (and those names?!) just right??  I don't know how they do it, but no matter what I have in mind, OPI always comes up with exactly what I want.  Today I got a manicure and pedicure for Lindsey's wedding this weekend, and I had my color in mind long before I arrived for my appointment--a wonderful eggplant-ish purple.  I suggested the color to Christina, and in no time at all she pulled the perfect shade out of her handy bucket.  Lincoln Park After Dark?  Don't mind if I do.  I know it's a little thing, but there's something great about leaving with just what you came for and being wholly satisfied with the end result.  The perfect nail polish is definitely one of life's frills, but tonight it serves as a reminder of how blessed I am and how much God cares about me and takes care of every little thing--even down to the tips of my fingers and the ends of my toes. 



The Pajama Game

Tonight I am thankful for warm pajamas and a messy ponytail.  Somewhat similar to the way I feel about soup (see yesterday's post), pajamas make me feel safe and loved and comfortable, and at the end of some days that's what I so desperately need.  (Note:  I know I'm always saying how much I need comfort and warmth and relaxation at the end of every day, and I'm sure y'all may think I'm at the very least incredibly needy and at most certifiably insane.  I'm really not either of those (I don't think...), but some days my job just leaves me ravaged and raw, and I look to my surroundings for comfort and love.  As a counselor, it's party of the job description that people are projecting their issues onto me; as they talk through their problems and get things off their chests, they often spew all over me, and I have to sort through their stuff (as well as my own issues) for myself.  ...And now I'm blabbering senselessly... maybe I am insane...?)  
Anyway, pajamas.
There is something wholly refreshing and energizing about coming home from work, putting on comfortable pajamas or loungewear, twisting my hair around my head, and finally taking a deep breath.  It makes me feel good, and it helps me to keep things in perspective.  And quite frankly, by the time I get home and finally sit down for a minute,  I'm often exhausted to my very core and frequently debate the idea of going to bed around 8 o'clock.  I don't usually do it, but some days it sure is tempting.

In the Soup

Tonight I am thankful for soup.  Yep, soup.  On these nights when the air is turning chilly and the dark is coming earlier and earlier, soup makes me happy.  Soup makes me feel warm and full and loved and safe.  Soup soothes what's ailing me and warms what's cold.  Hearty meat or vegetable, broth, consumme, noodle soup, bisque, chowder, stock, miso, stew, or wonderfully rich cream--it doesn't really matter; they're all wonderful.  Whether I'm having soup with a grilled cheese a five star meal or simply a piece of fresh bread, I can't help but love it.  

"In November's gusty gale

I will flop my flippy tail

And spout hot soup--

I'll be a whale!

Spouting once, spouting twice

Spouting chicken soup with rice."

(Do y'all love that book as much as I do?)

 

Thanks a Million

This November, I'm going to try to post everyday about something I'm thankful for.  My life is so filled with blessings that I know I will have no trouble finding something wonderful in my life everyday!

Tonight I am thankful for laughter.  There are few things I love more than unwinding at the end of a long workday, stretched out on the couch in my pajamas laughing at whatever hilarity I can find on television.  Tonight it was the Women of SNL special, and I pretty much laughed for two hours straight, remembering some of my favorite characters and discovering some new favorites, too.  It seems like all the dirt and grime of the long day slough off through a little bit of laughter, and some days it's all that keeps me sane, it seems.  Be it a great book, hilarious movie, favorite television character, or, of course, one of my oh-so-humorous friends, laughter really is the best medicine, and it almost always seems to cure whatever's ailing me.