Thanksgiving

I am thankful for my family. My best friend Kayla. For the long, sticky summer nights out that are spent on long walks with my siblings. For Ghost Hunters, which is pretty much the best show ever. For the moments when I have laughed so hard I've cried. For the hushed sounds of a library or bookstore. For inside jokes. Fuzzy socks. Being able to sleep in after a long week of school and work. For long afternoons spent inside a good book. I am thankful for smiles. For being blessed with the opportunity of growing up in the circumstances that I have; with a mother and father who work to give their children everything they can and much, much more. I am thankful for the moments I have danced in the rain or sang a song at the top of my lungs, for being carefree. I am thankful for the books, TV shows and movies that have changed my life; whether they were something that taught me a lesson or that I simply enjoyed. Or both. I am thankful for the people and pets that have walked into my life and changed it, even though they are now gone. I am thankful for trampolines, picnics, and nights beneath the stars. For good moods and long weekends. For the prospect of taking a vacation, even if I can't afford it. I am thankful for pinky promises and raindrops beating against my window as I am falling asleep. For being able to express myself in the words and worlds and characters that I create. For secret forts and hideouts and chocolate. For amazing, breathtaking views and kindhearted people that wouldn't think twice about helping someone in need. I am thankful for meaningful conversations that help me to realize the things that I have been missing or trying to ignore. For people who take time out of their day to listen to the complaints of a loved one. Or even a stranger. I am thankful for hugs, which are used to express a wide variety of things; from friendship to kindness to compassion to love. I am thankful for high school, which taught me a lot about life and proved that I was not a grown up, not even a little bit. I am thankful for true friends. For the people at my church. For the kids in my daycare, who teach me new things on a daily basis. I am thankful for my rabbit, Louis. For my guinea pig Charlotte. And Zoe. And Darcy and Chloe and Westley. And all the others. For the fact that, even though we are all at completely different stages in our life, my siblings and I have remained close throughout the years and would gladly wake up at ungodly hours if it meant one of us needed the other. I am thankful for the time I have been given in this life, and I am thankful for everything that has yet to come my way. Lastly, I am thankful for each and every morning, throughout my entire 22 years of living, where I have been able to wake up and realize that the day is new and I can make the most of it—no matter what had happened the day before. That I have people in my life that love me, and whom I love back equally, who will be there no matter what. I am thankful for my mistakes, which have shaped me into the person that I am and who I have yet to be. For all of this, I am thankful.