Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all are able to take some time today to spend with your loved ones and to be reminded of things you are grateful and thankful for. Life can get hectic, stressful, and can bring us down. We have all been there. There are somedays when it is hard to find things to be thankful for and other days when you are thankful for even the smallest things such as getting a fancy coffee or watching your favorite sports team play. Its natural and happens to everyone to have both of those types of days! One thing I have done to help my thought process on the hard days is to list what I am thankful and grateful for in my journal. Here is my list today:

• My sister and her moving down to Arizona to live with me

• My family

• My friends

• My cats

• My students and coworkers

• Christmas decorating with my sister this week

• Having the week off to "refresh"

• God's Plan to guide me

• Christmas baking today

• Running again the past few months and finishing a 10K

• Sticking to eating mainly Gluten and Dairy Free

• Taking care of my skin for the first time this past year

• Completing weekly self-care routines (skin care, stretching and journaling)

• Stepping out of my comfort zone the past few years and trying new things

• Being able to continue to explore my new state

• A weekend trip to Las Vegas this upcoming weekend

• My aunt visiting soon

• Having a plane ticket bought to go home for Christmas

• My mom visiting in January

I tend to pray and thank God for my list of things I am thankful and grateful for but I understand that isn't for everyone. Just remember how blessed you are today as you reflect and think about how lucky you are to be you and that you can experience the feelings of being grateful, thankful and blessed. This is my first year away from my family (besides my sister) on Thanksgiving. It is hard but I am so thankful to have spent time with my sister this morning and to spend time with my college roommate Melissa this afternoon! I am working on keeping some traditions such as Christmas baking around Thanksgiving and also going to try a new tradition of making a meal on Thanksgiving all by myself! I got some pork chops, stuffing, corn and made some pumpkin bars the other day! What are your favorite traditions and what are you thankful for this year?

~Marissa