An unfisnished list of things I am thankful for

Thanksgiving is the best holiday. I think everyone should start recognizing this as a fact . Why? Because, everyone gets together and eats together. That's it. Not too much pressure there. I honestly think it's better than Christmas. Don't get me wrong I like Christmas, but there is a lot of pressure that comes with the holiday. The second Thanksgiving ends, everyone's thoughts float somewhere around "I have to get this person a gift, and this person and that person and that person" and it becomes a race against time. Not to mention, its expensive. I wish I could buy everyone a gift but, student loans exist. Regardless, I love to give gifts and see a person's reaction to it. I take my time with gifts because I want it to be perfect for that person. It's very stressful to be thoughtful.

Christmas has been made into a commercial holiday and although the underlying message of Christmas is NOT about gifts, its become the primary focus. How else do you explain Black Friday? On one day everyone is so thankful for everything they have but the day directly after, they're fighting for the last flat screen TV.  Its crazy when you think about the juxtaposition of Black Friday and Thanksgiving. They put the word 'sale' in front of a number and give you "one day" and mayhem ensues. I was in Target earlier this week (no surprise there) and everything was already 40% off. It'll probably be the same on Friday. Not to mention, that if you happen to bring someone along to Christmas at this point in your life, you're basically married or engaged in the eyes of your family. If you're solo, the probing begins.

Anyways, I don't say or acknowledge the things I am thankful for nearly enough. You won't see me post about the current happenings of my life too often. I don't like to post every detail on social media. I don't like to over-share. I also don't like over-sharers. Over sharers need to stop making it a point to tell everyone, everything, every second. Go live. For me, I'm just trying to stay focused on the present rather than people's reaction to it. Inevitably, I get too caught up in my own life and compare it to others. Usually when I do that, I don't stack up to where I want to be in life. I end up wanting things instead of appreciating what I have and how I got it. It's destructive so I have to remind myself to stop. In the overall scheme of things, I am very grateful for everything that has been thrown my way, it's ultimately made me a better person.

Lists make me a better person. I am big on lists because they are a simple yet incredibly beneficial tool. I make lists all the time because I love to cross things off. I love lists because they help me stay organized and help me stay focused.  It is important to make lists so you can visibly see how much you have or how much you've done.

So, here's an unfinished list in no particular order, of things I have or have attained thus far that I am thankful for:

• My mother because I'm a bitch to her sometimes but she still loves me. She gets it, she knows I'm figuring it out.
• My father because he understands me and he has always supported me.
• Both my parents for valuing creativity before anything else
• My family because they're always proud of me even though I don't call them enough
• My grandma especially because shes 88 and has more of a social life and is more active than most people my age
• My little street cat because when I found the little fluff ball under my deck I had no idea what I was doing or how to bottle-feed a kitten
• My friends who are scattered all over the country and globe. Each relationship is incredibly different and for the most part, separate from the other. I do not have a set group of friends, I have a great big band of misfits and I wouldn't have it any other way. 
• For the above reasons, my bridal party will be EPIC.
• My little apartment because its perfect and its mine and I love it. 
• Small spaces hold heat better. Like my apartment. Yay small spaces.
• Living on my own which has taught me how to accept how weird I am
• My TV which was received as a gift. I am thankful for gifts.
• The city of Providence because it has opened my eyes to so many different walks of life, people, ideas, and of course, food. You won't find what it has to offer if you aren't patient enough to look for it and I love that about this city.
• Pecha Kucha because it is one of the coolest things that goes on in Providence. Look it up.
• Books. Turning pages. I'm thankful that there are people like me who feel that electronic books will never replace real books.
• Harry Potter. No, not the movies. Those are OK. The actual books. The adventurous, intricate, sometimes dark and twisted, books. Thank you J.K. Rowling.
• My health. I'm glad I'm doing alright.
• Cable and internet so I can connect to the world from my couch
• Crisp air and warm sun. Fall. Autumn. October.
• Autumn colors
• Football
• Scarves. Sweaters. Sweater Scarves.
• Living near the ocean. I have no idea how people live in middle America..like why?
• My bed because its cozy and not too big
• The ability to raise one eyebrow at a time
• Coffee. Good, strong coffee.
• My little red couch because it was my first adult purchase that I negotiated.
• Tapas bars because they remind me of Spain
• Spain. For changing my outlook on life.
• Sweatpants. Big baggy sweatpants.
• My job because its not what I want to do forever, but its teaching me about more about myself more than I originally planned.
• Also, income is nice.
• Wine. Beer. Legally drinking. Cocktails. Whiskey. I get it now, bars are important.
• Target because it has everything I want in one place
• Big mugs that take two hands
• Big mugs full of coffee
• Coffee shops
• Book stores
• Coffee shops inside bookstores
• Being able to go to the bathroom with the door open
• CHOCOLATE
• Dark chocolate
• Hot chocolate 
• Chocolate 
• Art of any kind that makes you think
• EMINEM because he is brilliant
• Words. Written words. Spoken words. Vocabulary.
• Music of any kind that makes you stop and listen
• The gym and my personal trainer for getting my mind right along with my body
• Dimly lit social settings. "Dinner lighting" or whatever you call it. 
• People watching
• Humans of New York
• Jurassic Park. One of the best movies of all time.
• Maps. Not for directions, for decoration. 
• Turkey
• Gravy
• Mashed potatoes
• STUFFING
• Cranberry sauce
• Cheat days

It's funny how in the process of making a list, you continually remember to add things to it. Things you forgot about pop up and spark other things. Lists are important and I encourage everyone to make one to jog their own memory. Happy Thanksgiving, I hope everyone is able to enjoy this day.