Gratitude

This is my seminal creative writing entry for which I will attempt to fully express what I am thankful for. Thanksgiving is next Thursday and I have yet to start thinking about the true meaning of the holiday. 

I read this book a couple weeks ago called 'The Surfer, The Saint, and the CEO' and one of the main focuses was appreciation. In order to have a fulfilling life, you must appreciate the elements of your life. This year I have rekindled a newfound appreciation for my job, my health, my integrity, and my love for the world and this book also opened up my mind to an appreciation for the food and lifestyle I am able to afford. 

I am so thankful for the abundance with which I life my life. I incessantly take it for granted and am only now realizing how selfish and unaware I am of the majesty in my mundane affairs. I type this as I look out the bedroom window of my comfy, 8th floor, Chicago apartment. I do not worry about the temperature outside. I do not worry about where my next meal will come. I do not worry about finding a place to sleep. I do not worry about finding and maintaining a stable income. 

I have a beautiful companion that I am able to share my life with; my dreams, my insecurities, my laughter, my pain. Our relationship is strong and honest and I vow never to take that for granted. I am so thankful for my job and the experience and skills I have developed over the past 4 years. Although this occupation is not my ideal profession, I will use it to further my personal aspirations and continue to be cognizant of the value it brings to my life. 

ALL THAT I AM IS LESS THAN 4 LBS. 

I am thankful for my wonderful, curious mind. I am touched by this beautiful thought. All that I am - my personality, my drive, my feelings, my experience - is housed in a mass less than 4 lbs.  Less than the weight of this computer. Less than the weight of a honeydew. Less than the weight of a book.

I am so grateful for my intelligence and the environment, which fostered my experiences to date. I am thankful for my genetics; my strengths, my weaknesses, my favorable attributes, and my flaws.

I am thankful for my loving, complex family. My parent's love which continues to surround me thousands of miles away. My friend's auras; each unique and interesting. Each worthy of the space which they occupy.