Thanksgiving

It is the time of year where the dawn of my favorite holiday will soon begin. A celebration of gratitude overdue will ensue. Thanksgiving brings about a sense of altruism from many, as they put aside daily concerns in favor of projects such as food and clothing drives, in an effort to positively affect those who are less fortunate.

I was happy to participate such a project this year that had set a reasonable goal, and ended up achieving almost four times the original goal. There was some healthy competition in play that seemed to inspire many involved to give just a little bit more, and ultimately those in need are those that really win and will be blessed from the generosity of many good people.

The main reasons Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday are really quite simple.

• The food is good. How can you not love a feast?
• Spending time with family.
• Taking time out to realize how blessed we really are.
• Expressing gratitude to God for all he has given us.
  

When I sit down to feast with my family, I will be grateful for all that I do have. With the realization that wealth is relative to perception in all aspects of life, not just monetary things. And I have been blessed in that regard far more than I truly deserve.

Lesson of the little things

The past couple weeks have been an interesting challenge. After spending the last couple years becoming completely independent and realizing just how capable I am of taking care of myself alone, I was hit hard with a new lesson. One in which small, easy, and little things had become nearly impossible tasks to accomplish.

That's when realization that I do actually need help from others sometimes, despite how much I don't want to accept that fact (far too often) had set in. Some people surprised me and ran away when I asked for help, others came out of nowhere and surprised me with their kindness and willingness to help me so much.

My faith in humanity has been restored, and I believe again that most people will go out of their way a little to do some good for others given the chance. This experience has been a blessing, even if it was mostly painful, and I now see much clearer who my real friends are. Thank you everyone who helped me during this time, even just a little bit, it meant so much more than words can express accurately.