5 Things I’m Grateful for this Thanksgiving

Photo from my walk this evening

While there is controversy around the historical misrepresentation of the American Thanksgiving (and we shouldn’t wait on this one day a year to express gratitude) the fourth Thursday of November is a day like any other to give thanks. With that in mind, here are a few things I am grateful for amidst the chaotic state of global affairs in 2020.

1. My Breath: This year has brought new focus to my breath; the fact that it’s there — doing its thing so effortlessly yet not getting nearly enough credit or attention from me. I figured I place it first on my gratitude list this year. The fact that my breath communicates to me; tells me when I’m stressed and anxious or calm and at peace. I’m grateful for my breath as a vessel to bring me back home inwards to myself when I get lost in the frantic energy of the hustle and grind of city life. Through meditation, I’ve learned to use it as a kind of secret weapon to finding grounding, and for that, I’ll be forever grateful. In a nutshell, considering everything going on this year, I’m grateful for life.
2. Good People: I’m thankful for the good people I’ve crossed paths with; good teachers, mentors, bosses, rugby coaches, and teammates alike. I’m grateful to all the good people who have taken me in at one point or another knowing that I didn’t have family in town or in the country. To the people who have hosted me for months at a time, stored my containers for years, and introduced me to their families as family. They’ve been democrats, they’ve been Republican, they’ve been black, white, and Latino families. Good people aren’t perfect people and I’m learning that good people can sometimes be “bad” people in a different context or depending on where you meet them in life. This really means there aren’t really many “bad” people per se, probably most often misunderstood or misguided. I’m thankful to the friends who reached out today knowing I’d be spending the holiday alone, even though solitude was a choice. To the Bradley family for opening their home in Lancaster Pennsylvania to me every Thanksgiving in college. Thank you for taking me Black Friday shopping with Jen at 3 am when we’d awaken from our food coma to wait in line until the outlets opened. These are memories I will never forget. Good people.
3. America: This might be a controversial one, given what the past 4 years of politics have looked like, but considering the hearts of the good people I’ve met independent of their political ideologies, I have faith in this country. On a basic level, I am grateful for consistent electricity and wifi when you pay for service, systems that are largely reliable e.g. the postal service, road signs, paved roads, etc. Though the nation is far from perfect and largely hypocritical on a number of fronts, I am grateful for the opportunities that have come with the American passport. I have had the option of where to live, study, work, vacation, and even been able to visit a friend on a whim, who otherwise would have had to wait months for a visa to visit me. I’ve learned that having options is one of the truest liberties a person can have. The luxury of choice; choose who you want to be; what you want to do, where you want to go. As I read Obama’s A Promised Land and reflect on what America meant to me before I moved back here as an adult (kind of — I was 16), my heart is full despite the country’s shortcomings. Though change is slow, it is on the horizon. I am hopeful for change and I am grateful for that hope.
4. Growth: I was talking to someone last week about my health journey from eating 600-calorie muffins as a snack in high school and having at least 1 caramel frappuccino from Starbucks a day while working on the Obama campaign to where I am now. I’ve continuously had to unlearn and re-educate myself about nutrition and my body. Beyond growth into a wellness mindset, I’m grateful to the books and podcasts, and apps that have contributed to my evolution as a person in my career, my writing, my relationships with others, and my outlook on life. I’m grateful for each rejection that has moved me closer in the direction of who and where I am meant to be. There have been and will continue to be many awkward conversations and painful experiences that shift me to be more accepting of others, aware of myself, honest with my communication, and realistic with my expectations. In the next 5 years, if I can’t recognize the woman who wrote this today, I’d say that’s a good thing and for that, I’d be grateful.
5. Family: I really tried not to go with this one because it’s quite basic and unoriginal, but the list would not be genuine without it. I’m incredibly exceedingly grateful for my parents and siblings. Because of them, I am independent, opinionated, assertive and no matter who I become will always remain grounded. My family is my Mastermind group, my board of trustees, my sounding board, my comedy club. Each member plays a slightly different role depending on the issue, but they are people I can depend on to always have my best interest at heart (even if sometimes that means getting in my way to protect me from myself). I am very thankful for the abundance of deep joy that radiates from our group calls and the humor in our group texts. So much of my positive outlook on life can be traced back to this eclectic group. We laugh so much, so often it cannot be taken for granted. I am grateful to my parents for intentionally establishing the family bond from childhood and fostering it as we each grew into ourselves. Knowing now that they did the best they could with the knowledge and resources they had, I can also be (kind of) grateful for their deficiencies and the lessons I’ve taken away from them. I’ll throw my ancestors in here with family too. Because of them, I stand confident and unapologetic in who I am. I’m grateful for their grit and sacrifice, for their dreams and prayers, and for their history passed on. Considering that the history of ancestors is something that was tactically erased for certain oppressed groups of people, I embrace mine with utmost gratitude.

Happy Thanksgiving! What are you grateful for today and every day?