The Finale! Happy Thanksgiving!

November 25 - It's that time.  I've been writing in another post, adding each day what I'm thankful for, and so far it's full of randomness and small things for which I am grateful.   Since today is the big day, I'm writing a stand alone post for the token Thanksgiving thoughts and thanks. 

First of all, I'm thankful for my husband.  We've had our problems, sure, but any relationship worth having will have problems.  What can you say about a man who knows all the bad sides of you and not only loves you anyway, but understands, or does his best to understand.  After 21 years he still tells me I'm beautiful.  Still wants to hold my hand when we go out.  I'm still the person he'd most spend time with.  For all that and so much more, he has all my love.

I'm thankful for my daughter.  Who knew that 18 years ago I was giving birth to my best friend.  She's given me hope when life has been at its darkest, laughter when I wanted only to cry, and so much more.  I can't say how proud I am to be her Mother, how happy it makes me to see her growing into a beautiful woman and knowing that I had some small part in making her who she is.  

I'm thankful for my mom and stepdad.  Losing a parent is never easy, but my stepdad has come as close as any man could to giving me back a parent.  The two of them are always there for me, for our family, they've done without to help me when I needed help, and they've provided financial, emotional, spiritual and mental support for me more times than I can count.  I couldn't ask for better parents, except maybe if they actually decided that tatoos and piercings were cool.

I'm thankful to God that He has seen us through the past four years, that every time it seemed like the rope was gone, He added a little more for us to hang onto.  I never expected him to solve all our problems and there have been times that I've been furious at Him.  Wanted to curse and scream and keep asking why we were going through all this.  But I trust that He has the answers and one day they'll all become clear.

I'm thankful for the men and women in our military, some of who are celebrating without their family and loved ones so that I can sit here, safe in my house, and write this blog.

Finally, and oddly enough, I'm thankful to all the people who hurt me, who mistreated me, who didn't believe in me, who spread lies about me, who went out of their way to ensure that my life wouldn't wander down the primrose path untouched.  They've all made me who I am today, and I've never been more proud to be me.  I've proven that I'm stronger than I knew, smarter than I thought,  more resourceful than I'd imagined.  I'm thankful that I didn't stoop to their levels to get revenge, and in so doing perhaps have been instrumental in helping them understand that being hateful and envious doesn't do anything but make you a bitter person.

There are so many other things I have to be thankful for, in spite of the situation our family has been living for the past few years, but suffice it to say that I'm here, I'm still kicking, I can still find joy in almost every day, and that alone is enough for me.

So with that, I wrap up my list of Thanksgiving thoughts, and wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving, or Happy Thursday, whichever you might be celebrating today.

To read my random thanks posts for the rest of the month, clickie here!