giving thanks

i'm thankful for a lot of things
so many, in fact, that i'm not sure how to count them but
first off, i'm thankful for my family, who always seem to know what to say- and when to say it.. who are there for me at the beginning, the middle and the end of every thing and every day. who have trusted me and accepted all my decisions, and love me even if they don't necessarily always love the choices i've made.. but are most importantly unbelievably proud of me and who i've become.
to my friends, an incredible circle who have come to feel like family. this year, more than ever, we've proved to each other how much it matters- and how the little problems, and even big ones, will pass by if we let them. how we've learned that change is good, and when it doesn't feel that way, we don't have to wait it out alone.
oddly enough, to the people that have hurt me in any way, shape, or form- i'm thankful that you've opened my eyes and given me a chance to re-evaluate what can be done differently. in every situation there are two sides and i will always take the fall for what i've done.. but with each new lesson comes another big change, comes another chance to try again, another chance to see things from another perspective. another chance to get it right.
with those humbling experiences of course, come the things we do get right. so i'm thankful for the things i have handled differently this year because of past situations- thankful that i've been able to look back and be proud of what i've said or done, and been able to move on.
and on a side note (and a much less serious one), i'm also thankful for: summer nights, ingonish, white rope bracelets, leather works (also bracelets), newfie wool socks (specifically red, with white hearts), cabin A, keltic lodge in general, cinnabon, JWD bookstore, (which reminds me..)the smell of old books, perks coffee shop, attica, hair elastics, biking, middlehead trail, white point, playlists, warm blankets, the smell of winter, fall leaves, great music, sand between toes, the sound of waves, stars (being able to see them every night), making you smile, old barns, trees, bruce springsteen, rugged cliffs and mountains, ry cuming and sara barielles (thank you for singing together), "our song",  the falls (johnnys), elephants, red red wine, newfoundland (which i've yet to go- but still manage to love), documentaries, hidden shorelines and coves, lifeguard chairs at night, soft snow, pancakes.. all of these things with or without you, but preferably with. the list goes on forever.

but most of all, out of everything, i'm thankful for who i am. whether it be the people who've pushed me to get here, the situations or challenges that have been faced, the perspectives i've been able to see or the lessons i've been able to learn.. i am thankful.
and not just one day of the year, every single day.