What Can I Say? I'm Thankful!

I'm not sure if everyone else shares this sentiment, but, seriously, this year has flown by so swiftly. I mean just nine days left? Jeez! Any ways, like so many other people do at the end  (or, in my case, towards the end) of the year, I'm taking stock and discovering I have a lot to be thankful to God for.

Sometimes, when people think about being thankful, they expect that you have to be thankful only for something as ginormous as waking from a coma or receiving that long awaited miracle. Those are certainly things to be thankful for, but even things we take for granted or feel are 'basic' like waking up, good health and active senses are equally ginormous and things worthy to be thankful for. Just ask (or think about) those who don't have the luxury of any or all of these so called basic things.

Urging people to be thankful is definitely not news. There are so many sayings and clichés that enjoin you to give thanks, but it is easier said than done.

Frankly, there are times when I don't feel thankful, when my problems and things I long for but haven't received seem to overshadow the things I have; and being thankful is the farthest thing on my mind. There is also the matter of being thankful not guaranteeing that problems will suddenly disappear, that a flashing rainbow will instantly emerge in my bleak horizon (sue me, I am one of those people who expects immediate results and likes flashing rainbows, apparently!).

Even though thankfulness does not mass produce flashing rainbows, what it does is that it makes you aware of what you do have. It also shows appreciation to your maker. Again, thankfulness makes for a less stressful life, because it makes you live in the present and reminds you that you have survived so far without all those things you are pining for.

Like every other person on the planet, there is so much I wish I could accomplish that I didn't this year, but I would be a liar if I said there weren't so many other things I am thankful for.

Some of the things I'm thankful for are in this evidently non-exhaustive, off-the-top-of-my-head list.

*The ability to nurture my relationship with God in spite of the ups and downs of this year.

*The privilege to have  a great (can't stress this adjective enough) family and lovely friends.

*The ability to 'unfriend' and/or distance myself from negative people.

*The capacity to be truly happy without feeling guilty about it.

*The time and energy to binge on SpongeBob SquarePants and other shows and movies while balancing other activities in my life.

*The good nature to find humour in every situation and risk quizzical glances that make me laugh even more.

*The (still growing) acceptance of my awkwardness and 'interesting' personality.

*The retention of my ability to not care so much about what people think, especially when such opinions are not constructive.

*The wherewithal to eat, drink (even if it's just water and juice... not forgetting the fizzy drinks too), live under a non-leaking roof, stay in touch with friends, family, and those who defy categorisation.

*The patience to not hurl my bag at the bus driver when he drives too slow on those days when I'm running late, or the shop keeper when my lottery tickets are duds, or the technician at my school who vanished when I asked him to fix a technical problem with my university card, or those who are more concerned about what I can get them than my welfare, or... (yeah, I think that's enough exposure for now).

*The compassion to weep with those who are hurting and laugh (more raucously than) (with) those who are happy.

*The strength to shout at the screen and run commentary when I'm watching things on the TV or my laptop (this habit unfortunately also follows me to the cinema, but I'm still thankful).

*The wisdom to know that I have all that I need.

*The ability to kick my Facebook and BBM addiction. Yay!

*The ability to know I cannot please everybody all of the time and to be okay with this realisation.

*The privilege to sing to myself and risk glances (and the occasional compliments, I got one again today) from passersby.

*The fortitude to realise that problems that have knocked me off my feet and driven me to despair have thought me valuable lessons about life, especially how to handle difficulties.

*The opportunity to have this blog and write about random things that affects people's lives for good (a girl can dream *wink* *gap-toothed smile* [for some reason it is gap-toothed, though I am not gap-toothed!]).

I think I'd just stop here before I veer into doe-eyed looks. Just listing these abilities and privileges and capacities (and I need to stress that this is by no means exhaustive, so all of you thinking I have only 18 things to be thankful for... ) has shown just how much I have and how much I have to be thankful for this year.  So, maybe like me, you ought to write a list of things you're thankful for, no matter how minute or 'basic' they might seem. It might surprise you how many things you have to be thankful for.

Have thanks-filled remaining days of 2013 and 2014, in advance!