My Thanksgiving Gratitude Post

I don't always make a Thanksgiving post, even though most of my readership does celebrate Thanksgiving. That's because while I grew up in the US and Thanksgiving was a big part of my life there, I moved abroad, married a non American, and did not have Thanksgiving off, and not really many people to celebrate it with. Occasionally we made Thanksgiving dinners throughout the years, but not always. This year, we're going away for the weekend and having a Thanksgiving style dinner tomorrow night.

However, whether or not I'm having an actual Thanksgiving meal today, Thanksgiving is a time where I get reminded about how many things I have to be grateful for. And this year, more than anything, I am feeling the gratitude, and wanted to share some of what I'm grateful for with you. This isn't going to be in any particular order, its just on what came to mind first.

I am grateful for the people who were open enough about therapy and removing the stigma around it, and encouraged therapy, so that I was able to feel comfortable enough to make that first therapy appointment I had 4 years ago. I'm also grateful to the organization that had subsidized therapy that helped me get the foot in the door at very affordable prices so I could begin my healing journey.

I'm grateful for my past therapist and current therapist who helped me heal so much. I have so much healing still to do, but I can acknowledge what a far way I've come in the process. I appreciate them helping me put up boundaries and give me the strength to cut toxic people out of my life and put very firm boundaries with toxic people that I cannot completely cut out. And they also helped me not internalize the toxicity thrown my way, and helped me realize that other peoples issues are their own and I don't need to take responsibility for other people's misbehavior.

I'm grateful for my psychiatrist and psychiatric meds I take every day. I used to be very anti meds, viewed them as a crutch for someone who wants to have a "get out of jail free" card and not do any hard work, but I realize them now for the amazing tool they are, they are like glasses for a visually impaired person, and aren't cheating, but actually help with the therapy process. I couldn't have grown as much via therapy and healed without the medicine getting me into a stable enough place that therapy was able to be effective. I am grateful every day for my meds and modern medicine. When I miss a day I can tell the difference. I al also grateful for cheap healthcare, which is something I know many people around the world don't have.

I'm grateful that I live in a community that is oriented around helping each other. That there's many people who don't have things, and the people who do are willing to help out and share. When people have an emergency and need a ride to the emergency room, people help out. When people aren't feeling well and need a lift to the doctor, people help out. If people are making a recipe and realize in the middle they run out of an ingredient, there are people who happily give them what they need. I am grateful that I live in a community that has a giveaway group, because people would rather give things away than throw them out. I am grateful that when the bus system is problematic, people are willing to give people lifts. I am so grateful that people don't ask "What's in it for me?" when it comes to helping others locally, but that its a given.

I'm grateful for the wonderful local friends I have, the people that when I am just feeling exhausted and out of sorts lately, or just having a hard time emotionally, do what they can to help out. This includes people making me and my family dinner (happened so many times recently because of how I've been feeling), dropping off little gifts and snacks to try to perk me up. I'm also grateful for the local friends who will come by and give me a hug if that's what I need.

I'm grateful for freinds near and far who accept me and love me and have faith in me and support me through everything I go through, who I can show the "real me" to and they don't run away, but instead are even more supportive. I am grateful for these friends who have become like family to me and my children, the most awesome family anyone could ever ask for.

I am grateful for the people who I no longer have in my life, because they taught me how to put up boundaries and to respect myself enough to remove them from my life.

I am grateful for religious figures in my community and further, who genuinely want to help people, and actually do so, and aren't just trying to promote their version of religion, but whose first goal genuinely is to help, because that's what they believe their mission is in life, not proselytization. And that help people whether or not they share their religion or belief systems.

I am grateful for the teachers that my children have this year. Every single one of them seems to genuinely care about my children and want to help them succeed, and cares to get to know them and their unique strengths and challenges. All of them are willing to work with me as needed when anything arises, and I know this isn't a given, and that it's extra hard with large classes like some of my kids have, but I appreciate the flexibility and compassion their teachers have shown.

I am grateful for my children, who give me a reason to smile every day. Who are so full of love and compassion and kindness and who are constantly trying to grow and be better people. I am grateful for their presence in my life and for the task I have to be their mother.

I am grateful for my dog who is such an effusive lover and great at cheering up people when they're down and comforting people and playing and bringing joy and happiness into our house.

And I'm grateful for all you readers, for being part of my journey, for listening to what I have to say, for helping me feel that I'm making a difference in the world, for putting up with me when my blog has gone over metamorphoses over the years, and especially for those who've stuck around this long. 

Thank you for everything.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I hope your life gives you many things that you can feel grateful for.