Everyone on facebook has once again participated in the daily "Thankful" routine... where every day you post what you are thankful for. I attempted to participate in this in the past a time or two.... but let's face it, how well do I follow with a daily posting? Hell, if you are reading this blog, chances are you have been around when I have attempted some 30 day challenges. I admit I have NEVER completed a 30 day blog challenge. I think in the future I should go for a like, 2 day in a row challenge. Cause, I think that's about the maximum endurance for following through with something online. Plus, I was in Phuket on my honeymoon when the month started, so by default I was already late. That's a fantastic excuse. Yes, we will use that this year! haha.
Also, I don't feel it's always necessary to pour my heart out to allll of my FB friends on a daily basis. While I'm on my soap box, if you are reading this and are one of those who post every meal and every action that you are doing during the day.... ie "off to the post office" followed by "this line is ridiculous" followed by "finally done!" followed by "traffic is horrible!"...followed by each action of your day.... please stop. We've all been guilty of over posting.. ok, most of us. But yeah, just stop.....
Anyways, I have a lot in my life to be thankful for. Choosing not to participate in this fb ritual doesn't mean I am not thankful. Just like forwarding and liking those pictures isn't going to solve world hunger or stop bullying (do people actually buy that shit? I am guessing so because I see it like every DAY!.... the worst? "like if you love god. ignore if you don't believe in him" I instantly feel guilty! WTF. I'm like, "well, I love god, but liking this doesn't prove my love...." and as I scroll past I'm like "wait, is this that whole denying God thing?" It's quite conflicting being in my head sometimes. And exhausting. Very exhausting.
Anywho.. I swear I have a point with this post.. and I'm sure half the readers are already side tracked back to facebook or shiny things. Even paint drying is possibly more interesting than my blog. lol.
What I am going to do is post 12 things (in no particular order) that I am thankful for. Please note me not listing something does NOT mean I am not grateful... just means my age is catching up with me or didn't cross my mind when I was typing. Obviously I don't think these posts out in advance. They aren't drafted and fine tuned. Again, you've read my blog so you should totally know this...... I apologize in advance, but if you read through, there is a prize at the end.....
1. I am thankful for an amazing husband. He is so caring, kind, loving, and patient. He will deny the patient part and say he has no patience. However, to put up with me, you have to have the patience of a saint, let's be honest. We started off our relationship as friends with a mutual love for Seven Mary Three. That friendship grew over the years to where I thought of him as one of my best friends. Someone I could tell anything to and someone I could trust with my life. That grew into much more in August of 2010. It's been a journey with it's fair share of ups and downs, and it's fair share of airfare to go along with it. He is someone who I still trust with my life and can tell anything to. He has been my biggest supporter even before we became "us" and I am just so thankful for his love and his friendship. I look back on my life and can see why I have experienced the things in my adult life that I have. Because without those, I would have never met Wayne. Everything in my life has literally led me here. If I erased any of the bad experiences in my life, it would possibly have meant a totally different result. So, it has taught me to be more appreciative of things (that normally you would NEVER be thankful for) because it is a part of why I'm here and have such an amazing husband and partner for life. I am soooo excited about the future and look forward to sharing all the things ahead of us.... vacations and holidays as a married couple, our first house together someday, and even starting our own family.... so many awesome things ahead of us!!
2. My dad. Not my biological father, my DAD. The man who CHOSE to be my dad and raise me, even though we share not one single strand of DNA. The man who taught me that if you want something in life you have to earn it. The man who NEVER treated me like a step daughter, but like his blood daughter. The man who has always welcomed me back home (more times than he probably wishes though!). He has always supported my dreams and taught me those loving phrases such as "you are your own worst enemy" and "sleep in the bed you made"... and of course, "pull my finger". lol. Even with his recent diagnosis of cancer, before we knew it was a good prognosis, he remained positive (and on the go, instead of resting.....).
3. My mom. She did not have an easy life growing up and always said she swore she would be nothing like her mother. While we don't always see eye to eye (as most mother/daughter relationships) I can happily say she succeeded. She has always been supportive of my dreams (along side with my dad) and while most parents would be devastated their daughter was moving 11K miles away, both she and my dad are simply happy I am happy, and willing to sacrifice me being present in their daily lives in exchange for the life I have here in Australia with Wayne and the future we have together.
4. A career that has allowed me to meet thousands of people, touch several, be touched by many, and that has allowed me to provide for myself when I needed to, and most importantly a career that opened up many doors for me all the way here in Australia. A career that has caused me to be a little more understanding and compassionate and to teach me that there are a lot more things in life to be thankful for that we take for granted. Even the ability to walk, breath on our own, talk, and even just rationally think. Sometimes we think we have such a difficult life and that things are so bad. I am guilty of it. But as a nurse, we then meet a patient who experiences difficulty in every day tasks, even feeding themselves. Suddenly, we feel like an ass for even thinking how horrible of a life we have because of whatever minor detail we are currently annoyed at.
5. My in-laws. Apart from my parents, I really didn't have much stability in the form of family growing up. Even when my grandfather died, it was full of drama. My husbands family is amazing. It's a very large group of amazing people who have accepted me as family since the second they met me. It's great to be this far from the life I knew to have the support they give me.
6. The ability to live in such an amazing country and meet some amazing people... Australia is UHHMAAYYZZZING. This is easily the most gorgeous place I have ever had the pleasure of visiting, so having the chance to live here is just mind blowing. It is a place I was fixated on visiting since 1998/1999 when Survivor was on TV and they had a season in Australia. Of course, Perth is luckily nothing like the outback they showed on Survivor - or else I would never survive!! HAHA. I am very thankful for such a great country I can now call home. The weather is so gorgeous. I have acclimated and the heat doesn't feel as hot anymore, but damn do I get cold QUICK! TOTAL wimp. Currently it is 21C/70F and I'm debating closing the windows because it feels like it's getting cool......... what the hell happened to me???!!!! April three years ago would kick my ass and lock me outside in the snow. LOL.. And don't get me started on the beaches. Holy cow. Every now and then if traffic is bad, I go a couple miles down the road to the coast road and take that home. It take much longer but my god.... it's miles and miles (or kilometers and kilometers) of beach front views. And the beaches here aren't build on like in America. They are very much preserved. You won't find apartments, houses, or hotels on the beach. You will find.. the BEACH. So all along your drive, it's just ocean, waves, sand, and the sun. It makes any troubles disappear. It's magical. We also have National Health Insurance (that WORKS!), a good economy, cheap university studies... the list just goes on and on. The cons of living here? Yeah.. let me get back to you on that one..........(because I have yet to find one other than being so far away from everyone!)
7. The ability to keep up with friends and family as easily as the internet and smart phones make it. Seriously would not be able to live so far away if I had to wait on snail mail... nor would I have ever met my husband or been able to maintain a long distance relationship without the existence of internet forums, email, myspace (what's that, right?) facebook, skype, etc....
8. My stubborn side. While most times I curse my stubborn side, it truly has paid off. When I set my mind on something, nothing stops me because I'm too damn stubborn. This has paid off heavily for a personal battle and it's how I have managed to stand up for myself in the past and leave situations many women find it hard to leave. It makes me fight for things I believe in and resist things that I know I can't have in my life. "I be damned....." has come out of my mouth more times than I can count. I am not stubborn enough, however, to quit chocolate. It has never quit or failed me, so I can't quit it. ;)
9. Humor. "Through humor, you can soften some of the worst blows that life delivers. And once you find laughter, no matter how painful your situation might be, you can survive it." I am thankful that I was born with a sense of humour, no matter how twisted (annnnnd inappropriate at times) it is. I'm thankful those that are the dearest to me, including my best friends and husband, share this.
10. Friends. Let's face it, I have some of the most amazing friends in the world... and they are all over the world. Literally! I have some amazing friends back in the states and in the past 2 and 1/2 years of living in Perth, I have continued to meet some of the most fantastic people who I am so honored to call my friends, and many of which I consider family.
11. Quotes/ Lyrics. While most of you think this is quite ridiculous, quotes and lyrics have been a major part of my life. I remember as a kid, and would get a new cassette tape (or eventually CD's) and I would take open the package and read every lyric of every song before I ever listened to it. When I hear a song, I don't listen to just the beat and vocals, but to the lyrics and I try to break it down and work it out. I truly enjoy it and in a way miss the times when I would read quote websites for hours on end and constantly seem to find inspiration, motivation, and sometimes hope when I needed it most. And there it would be. In some silly little quote. I still have heaps of them saved and while I can't often quote them, I often know the basics and know exactly where and how to find them. And no matter how many times I read them, I still find comfort in a lot of my favorites.
12.
To see your prize for reading through, please scratch here:
Your prize was reading this. Don't be greedy.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!
May your stuffing be tasty, may your turkey be plump.
May your potatoes ‘n gravy have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious, may your pies take the prize.
May your Thanksgiving dinner stay off of your thighs.
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