For the past few years, every November I see a few friends post on Facebook something they are thankful for every day. I have always loved this and have kept my own running list of things I am thankful for; although, if you can believe it, I have always kept my list private and to myself. This year has been so much different than previous years in my life (in a good way) that I decided I wanted to write a blog called “Thirty Days of Thanks”, but up until today I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to share it with the “world.” On November 1st, I started thinking about all the many things I am thankful for digging deep into my soul and core asking myself, what am I truly grateful for today and everyday? So, I decided to continue writing my blog and share it. Some of these may seem but too obvious and some may seem ridiculous and silly, but none the less, they are what I dug deep for thinking about and realizing that much in life gets taken for granted.
Before I start my “Thirty Days of Thanks”, I must get it out onto my web space that we ALL take life for granted at some point or another. This truly is the time of year to sit back and be thankful and grateful for everything we have. Whether big or small, don’t underestimate or take for granted what you have, because you never know when it may be gone.
Day 1. First and foremost, over anything and everything else, I am thankful and grateful for my husband. This isn’t about being mushy and romantic, but how I truly feel. He is by far the most important person in my life and the most amazing, inspiring, motivating and loving man I have ever met. He is honest, caring, selfless, genuine, brave…my list could truly go on forever. He is probably the one person and thing in my that I strive the hardest every single day NOT to take for granted. Anytime I feel myself get frustrated or angry over something small like dammit, he left his socks in the middle of the living room floor…again! I sit back and think, shut up! Be thankful for those socks on the floor! Be thankful for the man who does everything and anything to make you happy everyday. Be thankful for the man who helps put a roof over your head, food on the table and most importantly, love in my life and heart every day. Because sadly, if one day those socks weren’t left in the middle of floor anymore, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself. Sometimes his imperfections, like leaving socks and shoes around the house are small silly reminders that without him, I’d be lost and sad. I am blessed to have found and married such an incredible man who is the father of my unborn daughter and who shows nothing less than unconditional love, support and care. For that, I am forever thankful and refuse to take one day with him for granted.
Day 2. I am ever so grateful for this growing baby girl inside me. I joke and blog often about my pregnancy pains, woahs and frustrations, but my sarcasm helps me muddle through some of the tough parts. Like getting “fat”, which I write and complain about often, but in the end, joking about it is how I personally deal with it. In fact, many women who I don’t even know have reached out to thank me for previous blogs because they too feel the same way and have told me I inspired them to embrace the experience. No matter how “fat” I get, how sore my back is, how tired my feet are, I want to clear up any misconceptions because I am thankful for it all. I am thankful to be blessed with pregnancy and motherhood. I am thankful for my daughter, even though I can’t see her or hold her yet, I can feel her in every way and am counting down the days until we meet face to face. Btw, only 99 days to go! Told ya I’m counting!
Day 3. While I could write a list about each and every family member, we’d be here reading this all month, so I’ve narrowed it down to my family as whole including my in-laws. They’re all different and special, and bring so much joy and happiness to my life. I can call anyone of them at anytime and count on them to be there for me. Without family, I think my life would be empty and boring. Mom, dad, brother, sisters, sister in laws, brother in laws…I’m thankful for them all in what each of them bring to my life.
Day 4. I am thankful for my nephew and niece who have truly taught me the joy of childhood. Even after years of teaching young children and always knowing I wanted my own children one day, they are who truly inspired me to become a mommy. I love them both dearly. To see life through their curious and growing minds is a beautiful thing and I cannot wait to be able to do this my daughter.
Day 5. I’m thankful for the gorgeous and unique house my husband and I bought this year. To some, it may not seem like much, but to me, it means more than I can describe. Growing up, I didn’t live in a house, I lived in a small apartment. After my parents divorce my brother, mother and I moved to a different apartment and rented two different duplexes over the course of several years. Before moving out on my own my mother bought her own condo and I lived there for a couple of years, but I never lived in an actual house, and certainly not one I could call my own. This house isn’t just a home for my husband and I, but it symbolizes an accomplishment and a dream come true as I’ve always pictured myself raising my family in a house I could truly call my own.
Day 6. I am thankful for my body. I think we often take for granted the arms we have to carry groceries with or more importantly, our children. We take for granted the legs we have that allow us to get up out of bed each morning and walk us around our day. After the Boston Marathon bombing, I realized even more that each day we have here is a gift. And any day where I can wake up and walk, run, lift my arms, clap my hands, stomp my feet and dance, is a good and grateful day.
Day 7. I’m thankful to not be working right now. This may come to a shock to most people because while no one “loves” to work, most people are thankful for their jobs as a job is what pays the bills. I was always very dedicated to my job and my career, but things changed and I left three months ago. To say it was a blessing in disguise for so many reasons would be an understatement. Not working is allowing me to do so much. For one, it’s allowing me take care of myself during my pregnancy which is ultimately taking care of my growing baby girl. It’s allowing me to get so much done for her arrival and so much done around our house. And last but not least, it’s allowing to figure out what I really want to do “when I grow up.” My husband I determined far before I left my job that putting our children in daycare full time was not what we wanted. In the past three months I have been networking, researching and figuring out how I can work from home part-time as a contractor using the skills I’ve so finely crafted and love. Essentially, my goal is to have companies hire me as a contractor for their market research, social media and sales needs. And so far I already have one opportunity that is looking good and in the works. I’ve even met with the Career Center a few times to help me figure out the best path. This will eventually allow me to work and make money, but have the flexibility to be able to stay home with my children so they’re not in the care of someone else everyday.
Day 8. I’m thankful for food. No, not just because I’m pregnant! It’s what fuels me everyday, it’s what keeps us all living and sadly, not everyone has the luxury of putting food in their mouths everyday. When I was in college in Boston, I saw so many homeless people on the streets. Whatever the reason for their situation, it was sad to see they had no money, no home and no food. We are all so quick to judge when we see a “bum” on the side of the road, but next time, take into consideration that you don’t know their situation or know them to judge at all. And be thankful for what you have.
Day 9. I’m thankful for a closet full of clothes and shoes. No, not just because I’m a girl and love fashion and being cute and trendy. Because those clothes and shoes keep me warm and protected. Imagine if you didn’t have clothes, how freezing you would be in the middle of January on a 20 degree day? I bet if you were standing outside naked and bare in a snowstorm, you’d soon realize that being thankful to clothe yourself isn’t something to take for granted.
Day 10. I am thankful for barre classes. Yup, I cannot deny these classes have seriously been a positive addition in my life. I discovered the studio back in April just after my husband and I moved into our house and I’ve been addicted ever since.
Day 11. I’m thankful for the air in my lungs. Everyday we breath in and out hundreds of times, but we don’t think about it. Without air, without our breath, we’d be nothing. It keeps us living.
Day 12. I’m thankful for New England. SO many people bitch and moan (yes I just wrote that) about the weather, but I can’t imagine a better place to live. Here we can experience all four seasons. We know what a gorgeous summer sunny day is and we know what a freezing cold blizzard looks and feels like. We can swim and go to the beach or lake in the summer and we can ski or sled in the winter. We can watch the trees and flowers bloom every spring, and in the fall we can watch as their leaves change beautiful colors. I cannot imagine being anywhere but here, and am thrilled to raise a family here.
Day 13. I’m thankful for photography. It captures moments that I can look back on and cherish, remember and relive forever. I LOVE pictures for that very reason. I think a good picture captures so much more than what your eye see’s, it captures feelings and moments.
Day 14. I’m thankful for money. Without money I wouldn’t have a house, I wouldn’t clothes, I wouldn’t have shoes or food or heat or light. Money is how we survive and live, and I’m thankful for it.
Day 15. I’m thankful for my friends. You realize at some point in life that people come and go, but the important ones are there for years to come. I’ve also learned I’d rather be able to count on my hands the true good friends I have than not be able to count a bunch of “friends” who aren’t really your friends. “Friends are like flowers, beautiful flowers, friends are like flowers in the garden of love.”
Day 16. I’m thankful for learning experiences. Life’s lessons, big and small, continue to mold me into the woman I am today and provides me with wisdom.
Day 17. I’m thankful for sunflowers. Silly, I don’t care, but they make me so damn happy and excited on the inside whenever I see one that I can’t help but smile on the outside.
Day 18. I’m thankful for laughter and I’m thankful for crying. One of my favorite college professors used to say, “Laughing adds minutes onto your life.” I once asked if crying does the same and he said, “Yes, because it’s not good to keep that inside.” It has stuck with me since the first time he said it and I have carried it with me. We wouldn’t know one without the other and I am thankful for both.
Day 19. I’m thankful for my fitness. Here I am, six and a half months pregnant and I have maintained a workout routine of barre classes, trainer bike rides, walks, weight training at home and hikes. In fact, I just went hiking in the White Mountains this past Monday. Fitness keeps my mind and my body strong and I truly believe keeping up with it is aiding in a healthy and happy pregnancy.
Day 20. I’m thankful for social media. Surprised? Probably not! I’m such a social butterfly; my parents told me I came out of the womb talking with a phone in my hand. I LOVE communicating offline, online and wherever I go. It’s a huge part of me. Social media allows me to blog and stay connected and in touch with friends and family who live all over the world. It’s pretty awesome, and whether it’s ridiculous or not, I’m thankful for it!
Day 21. I’m thankful for knowledge. Book smart knowledge, street smart knowledge, life’s little lessons knowledge…I’m thankful for all of it. Without knowledge we’d have empty, lifeless brains. Some people say ignorance is bliss; I think knowledge is bliss.
Day 22. I’m thankful for happiness. Being married to an amazing man, being pregnant with our daughter, owning a beautiful home…all of this among so many other things in life make me a truly happy person. Happiness shouldn’t be taken for granted. There are a lot of unhappy people in this world, I have met a few. I’m thankful to be a happy person and wear a smile on my face everyday and happiness in my heart.
Day 23. I’m thankful for my voice. Lord knows I couldn’t chat your ear off without it, but I’m even more grateful for my singing voice. I don’t sing as often as I used to, but singing soothes and frees me. It’s liberating, the same as working out is for me. It’s a huge part of who I am and what I love and I’m thankful God gave me the voice that I have.
Day 24. I’m thankful for music. Cliche as it is, music saves my soul. It truly is the universal language understood, known and loved by all. I have music in my head, on my tongue and in my heart everyday and I’m thankful for the countless times it has saved me.
Day 25. I’m thankful for humor. Jokes, laughing, smiling…how good does it feel to be humored? I’m thankful to find at least one thing, but usually many more, that humor me and make me laugh everyday! Humor makes life fun!
Day 26. I’m thankful for this blog. Not just this book of a blog I’m writing that has forced me to dig deep into my soul, but the web space that provides me to vent and write about whatever I want, when I want and share it with who I want. I can set blogs to private, I can password protect them, or I can share them with all of you! I am simply thankful for a place to come and get what I need off my chest, whether it’s good, back or ugly!
Day 27. I’m thankful for water. It probably seems like another silly one, but seriously, we’d die without water. Our body needs it to survive. We drink it and need it daily and it’s essential to us. Anything essential to life, I’m thankful for.
Day 28. I am so very grateful that this Thanksgiving (like EVERY Thanksgiving) that I will be sitting at a table with food, laughter and my family. Little do we think about the men and women who are overseas serving our country who are not with their families. Little do we think about those who may have lost a loved one that isn’t with them this holiday season and year. Little do we think about the people who simply don’t have a family or anyone to spend the holidays with. The holidays are truly my FAVORITE time of year. Anyone who knows me, knows that. For me, it’s never about the food at Thanksgiving or the gifts at Christmas, from the bottom of my beating heart, it’s about the true meaning behind these holidays. It’s about the feeling and magic of the season. Being thankful. Celebrating life. I carry the holiday and Christmas spirit with me all year long.
Day 29. I’m thankful for the sun. It provides light during the day and life to everything on earth. It provides warmth and happiness. It’s the center of us.
Day 30. I’m thankful for my life. Without my life I wouldn’t have 29 other things to be thankful for! I’m thankful to wake up every morning and see and feel and breath and move. As young children and adults, I think we often assume that we’re immortal. That death is so far away. At 32 years old, I have attended more wakes and funerals for young friends and family than I have elderly. I have lost two cousins, one at 23 and one at 36. I know a cemetery in the town where I grew up all too well of young resting souls. Do not take your life for granted. We have no idea how long we’ll be here. Young or old, cherish your life and the days on earth with your family and friends. Sadly, it’s death that has taught me to be more thankful every single day for my own life and the lives of those I love.
If you actually read this entire blog, I commend you. But either way, here’s wishing all my family, friends and blog lovahs a very Happy Thanksgiving and holiday season. Be Thankful. Not just today, not just for the thirty days in November, but everyday.
~Sparke