gratitude.

Tomorrow is annual turkey day.  A day of visits to Grandma's house, extreme over eating, and sitting around watching football, and making fun of napping cousins (with their pants unbuttoned in response to turkey comas.)  I'm so glad to be on break from school.  I'm dreading going back seeing as its the last week of classes and then the ominous week of final exams.  I know I will do well, its just utterly overwhelming.  Coming home has been a bit overwhelming as well in certain ways.  A lot of things have changed while I've been at school - good and bad.  Once again, money is on the brain.  And in a big way.  Just when you think you're ok, and that your finally stable, the universe goes and pulls the rug out from underneath you.   I guess I'm trying to figure out what I'm supposed to learn from these circumstances.  I want to believe that everything happens for a reason but sometimes it just feels like the world is out to get you.  But seeing as its the holiday for gratitude, I'm making a list of all the things I am thankful for, the things I DO have in my life.  Looking at this list suddenly makes money problems seem so trivial and small.  I'm thankful for....

*being able to go to art school and getting shot at doing what makes me absolutely happy and completely fulfilled.

*Having all the basic necessities...clean water, a roof over my head, food...

*Being alive to witness the first black president of the United States.  Being proud to be American for the first time ever.

*Feeling like I'm getting closer and closer to the woman I want to be.

*Having beautiful friends and an incredible, talented, strong family.

*Learning from my mistakes.

*my dog. :)

*Not growing up addicted to video games and actually learning how to have a real conversation instead.

*I'm thankful for my voice.  For my freedom to speak.

*White out.

*ipod.

*prismacolor pencils.

*clean sheets that smell nice.

*Robert Pattinson.  

*I'm thankful for people fighting in Iraq to protect me even though we don't know each other's names.

*My best friends.

*Having a sense of purpose and direction, even if I havent completely found it yet - I know I'm on my way there.

*Yogi tea.

*tattoos

*People who love me when I can't love myself.

*The turkey who died in order to feed me tomorrow :(

*Having eyes and ears that work so I can read endlessly, and listen to music all I want.

*Being alive.

Blessed.