Happy Thanksgiving everybody! I hope that today is a day filled with family and friends. I hope you relax and enjoy the time you have with loved ones. I hope you stuff your face with tons of delicious food. I hope you don't have to work and if you do, know that I'm thinking of you and hoping you get to soon go home and be with your families.
I'm still in a bit of shock that it's already Thanksgiving. This year has flown by. I say that every year, but we're already in full holiday season and I feel like summer is barely over. There's no way the warm weather and sunshine passed us by so quickly. But alas, the turkey is on the table, the sweet potato casserole smells heavenly and I'm eating french fried onions straight out of the can. Normally Phil and I have a quiet Thanksgiving, just the two of us since we can't afford to fly to Chicago (where both our families live) for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, but this year we were invited to our friends house. I love our quiet holiday together, but it doesn't quite feel the same with only two people so I'm quite excited to be surrounded by a large group this year. I'm making sweet potato casserole and my famous rice krispy treats. Yum! But I didn't really write this post to talk about food although somehow my conversations always lead back to food. Nom nom nom!
I wrote this post to talk about what this day is really about. Being thankful. Taking a moment to step back and appreciate all that you have. Too many people these days forget about what this holiday really means so I'd like to take a moment to share some things I'm thankful for.
Family & Friends
Of course this one is cliche and on everybody's list, but it's something I'm truly thankful for. I'm really close to my family and I don't know what I would do without them. The holidays are always difficult for me being so far away from them, but we normally are able to jump on Skype or the phone and chat for a little bit. My mom and my sisters are my best friends and I'm so thankful to have them as a constant source of support. My mom is my greatest cheerleader, always supporting me in everything I do and my sisters are my partners in crime, my shoulders to cry on and the ones that can always make me laugh no matter what's going on. I'm also so thankful for the friends in my life. My best friend Ana is a rock. She's someone I know will always be there for me no matter what. If I need her, she's just a phone call away and I know she'll do anything she can to help me out. My friend Michelle never ceases to bring entertainment and hilarity to life. There's truly never a dull moment with her. And of course, all my blogging friends. Wendy, Kelly, Jamie, Pam, Lauren, Sabrina and a million others. You guys are my people and I'm so glad you all have come into my life.
The Ability to Pursue my Passions
Not everyone is lucky enough to be able to pursue the things they love. Blogging, reading and writing are all things that are important to me. They are things that I love and I'm so thankful that I can pursue them freely. That I can write whatever I want and post it on the internet. There's not restrictions on what I can and cannot say. I can work on a novel about anything. I live in a country where I have the freedom to write what I want and say what I want and I'm always grateful for that freedom. I'm so happy that I can put my creativity to use in a healthy and positive way.
My Home
My little one bedroom apartment may not be a celebrity level mansion, but it's cozy, warm and it's mine. I'm so thankful for the home that Phil and I have built together. There are times when I walk into the house after a hard day of work and just look around, amazed that all of it is mine. I'm so thankful that Phil and I are both blessed with good jobs that allow us to have this home and the food we put on the table.
Books
Of course I can't write a post without mentioning books. But I truly am thankful for books. Any and all books. Books have changed my life. They have opened my eyes to new things, made me questions ideas. They have shown me the various sides of humanity. They have taught me about people with horrible circumstances and made me every more thankful for the life I live. Books have taught me how to be brave, how to be strong, how to stand up for myself and others. Books have taught me how to love, how to dance, how to be free. Books continue to grow and shape me as a person. Without books, I have no idea who I would be. So thank you to all the authors, the agents, the editors, the publishers, the critique partners, the beta-readers, the bloggers and other readers out there who make books possible. Without them, I fear our society would be hopelessly lost.
My Husband
And last but not least, I'm thankful for my amazing husband. Phil has supported me from the start of our relationship. Even though he doesn't always "get" the whole book blogging thing, he supports me nonetheless. He doesn't care that I use almost a week's worth of my vacation time every year to go to BEA. He understands when I make him put his headphones on to play his game so I can read without getting distracted. He makes dinner and stays up late when I head out to author signings and don't get home until like 10pm. He only complains a little when I buy new books. And he constantly is asking me about the books I read and what I thought of them. He's also extremely supportive of my writing and is constantly encouraging me to keep going. He believes in me like nobody else does and I appreciate him for everything he does.
That barely scratches the surface of everything I'm thankful for, but if I listed everything this post would be way too long. I hope everyone has a marvelous Thanksgiving! What are you thankful for?
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